Fly Through the Night
by ThwippThwipp
Summary: A mission gone wrong in his youth results in a fifteen-year old mystery, that still bothers Hux even now. By the time he is appointed General, he has long given up on solving it, that is until Supreme Leader Snoke takes an extreme interest in the sole heir to Vader's legacy. Perhaps now, he can finally find out what happened to Ben Organa. (Huxlo/Kylux)
1. The Boy

**Summary:** ** _"It's the Organa boy, Hux…"_**

 ** _A mission gone wrong in his youth results in a fifteen-year old mystery, that still bothers Hux even now. By the time he is appointed General, he has long given up on solving it, that is until Supreme Leader Snoke takes an extreme interest in the sole heir to Vader's legacy. Perhaps now, he can finally find out what happened to Ben Organa._**

 ** _Then again, some things are better left buried._**

 ** _"…he's missing."_**

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 **Chapter 1: The Boy**

Petty Officer Armitage Hux was ready to die of boredom.

Diplomatic missions were entirely uneventful. Being sent on one usually meant being caught up in boring talks, and being stuck at loud parties, where the only company were humans so old that their skin had started to sag, or aliens that couldn't speak a lick of Galactic Basic.

This mission had been filled with all the above. Negotiations had taken up the better part of two weeks, where he had tried to convince the host government to align themselves to the First Order. Too bad the Resistance had showed up disguised in the New Republic's parties. Not to mention the host of other politically-diverse factions. What had resulted was a total mess of talks as all sides had tried to argue their points.

Young officers like Hux rarely got a say in which missions they could partake in. Thankfully, he was currently at the farewell gala. Which meant negotiations were just about finished, and he could leave this filthy backwater planet for good. He missed the decks and cool minimalist steel of _The Ravage_. Being on any planet for too long, after a lifetime spent between star destroyers, made him feel uneasy.

Even the breathtaking sight of the main ballroom doesn't quite quell his case of land legs. The room is magnificent, with a ceiling that stretches up a few stories high, with beautiful stone decorations lining all its surfaces, including the pillars stretching up from the floor to kiss it. Rich tapestries and paintings line every inch of the walls that aren't already set with transparisteel that looks out onto a lush balcony set over the cliffs below.

The crowd is bustling around and moving drably to the sour music of the alien hosts. All the guests appear old and decrepit, or entirely stuck up. Not to mention there are far too many aliens: Togruta, Gran, Trandoshans, and even a goddamned _Wookie_. All in all, it's certainly not the kind of party Hux would willingly attend.

Instead, Hux was standing listlessly in a corner, beside his fellow First Order officers, all of them standing far too upright and alertly to suit a party atmosphere. They weren't used to relaxing, even during peaceful negotiations. Their upbringing was far too harshly rooted in them. To no one's surprise, Captain Willuch was the only one actively mingling with the guests. It was his duty as commanding officer.

Suddenly, in an instance, all Hux's prejudices seemed to fade away as he caught sight of the boy.

The boy looked gangly, like a reed that bends too easily to the wind, and his limbs were well on the way to outgrowing the rest of his body. Yet he walked gracefully, with purpose - no doubt due to years of practice. His face was strange, with a large distracting mouth and a strong nose. His black locks flow loosely around his neck, and frame his face prettily. He looks very familiar, but Hux is far too distracted to be able to place him.

It's easy to tell he's either wealthy, or from a strong political faction. Both, most likely. His robes seemed to breach against the floor with every step like waves breaking against a sandbar, and the fabric even _glittered_ like furious sea-foam. Despite his awkwardness, the boy looked almost ethereal, like a deep-sea creature native to the planet's devastatingly deep oceans, plucked straight from its inky depths. _He's beautiful_.

It takes a full minute for Hux to realise he is staring, and that his mouth is hanging open to boot. _Entirely unprofessional_. It was silly to stare so openly, especially whilst he was in full uniform and representing The First Order.

He shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware of his own constricting suit and overly-lavish boots. His own uniform was distinctly expensive and entirely uncomfortable. He had checked his appearance almost lazily before the party – not particularly interested in impressing anyone.

 _What a mistake that had turned out to be_. He prayed that he looked somehow presentable, quickly combing his hair back.

 _Thank god_ \- his uniform was tidy. When it came to diplomacy, the First Order invested heavily in appearance, which was a stark change from their usual frugality. Appearances bought you friends. Not fantastic friends, but friends all the same. Alliances won you wars, after all, and the First Order was determined to win the biggest war of all.

 _Perhaps this was his loophole_. The First Order wanted to make 'friends', or rather, rally potential subordinates to his cause. Therefore, it would be entirely sensible for him to talk to the ethereal boy.

With a sudden fire in his gut, and a determined stride in his step that would have made even his father proud, he marched over to the boy. He felt as if he was entranced, unable to stop himself.

Meanwhile, the boy was making a beeline for the door. Time was of the essence.

Luckily, Hux managed to get to him first, stepping smoothly in front of him and halting his determined strides.

The boy stopped. A flash of surprise quickly replaced with distinct annoyance and an unfairly striking curled lip. He did not look pleased at all.

Hux smiled coyly, eyes tracing over the pretty red slash of the boy's mouth, "It's a bit early for departure, don't you think? The party hasn't even started yet."

The boy scoffed, "The party hasn't started, and it's not likely to. All these people look dead on their feet."

"Perhaps they need some encouragement from some of the more… _spritely_ of us."

"Oh? And _you're_ going to be the one to teach them?"

Hux holds out his arm, "I had rather hoped you'd grant me the pleasure of accompanying me."

Up close, Hux can tell that the boy is at least a few years younger than himself. His eyes are thoroughly distracting: twin stars set in his face, that reflect all the beautiful blinking lights of the ballroom, like liquid glass. _Hux must have him_.

In turn, the boy considers him, raking his eyes over his uniform with a sneer. It was clear that the boy was not fond of The First Order in the slightest. It was a pity, but not unexpected. Opinions could be swayed though, with just the right amount of charm.

"The First Order?"

Hux nodded, still holding his arm out proudly in invitation. He would represent The First Order to the last. Even at the risk of rejection.

In a curious move, the boy seemed to look back into the crowd, as if searching for a particular face. After his sweep of the room, he turned to Hux with a smirk, his black hair tossing loosely with his movements.

"Fine, I'll dance with you." He said suddenly, before placing his hand on Hux's arm.

"Perfect." Hux said, as he escorted the boy to the centre of the room.

In the early hours of the morning, the lights of the officers' quarters were thrown on, and the intercoms blazed loudly. All the officers, Hux included, groaned loudly as they shook off their sleepiness and stood to attention at the foot of their bunks. They all looked at each other warily, wondering why they'd been woken up earlier than usual.

Suddenly, Captain Willuch strode through the doors, heavy boots threatening to dent the floor with each heavy step. Finally, he came to a stop in front of Hux, a look of fury upon his weary face. The other officers exchanged surprised glances. Hux wasn't the type to get into trouble, or at least, get caught.

"Sir," Hux said, saluting the man dutifully.

With frightening speed, Willuch grabbed him by his sleepshirt and dragged him up to face level. The world span, as Hux's feet dangled uselessly from above the ground. He yelped at the rough treatment.

"What did you do with that boy, Armitage?!" Captain Willuch barked, shaking him like a ragdoll.

Between all the yelling and the hushed whispers of his peers, it took a moment for Hux to understand what the man was saying.

"W-what?!"

" _The boy_ , Armitage! Ben Organa!" Willuch yelled, practically frothing at the mouth; "What did you do?!"

 _Ben Organa_. The beautiful floating boy from the party with eyes like constellations.

"I didn't do anything! We danced for a bit and then I went straight back to my quarters!" Hux yelped, flailing uselessly beneath Willuch's wrought-iron hold; "I haven't done anything!"

Willuch stopped his assault, and instead looked at Hux carefully; "…are you lying to me, boy?"

"No!" Hux said, desperation seeping into his voice; "I swear I didn't touch him!"

"Fine… if I found out you're lying, I'll skin you alive!" Willuch barked, pushing Hux away; "Goddamnit… just _goddamnit_ …"

Shaken, Hux got to his feet trying to steady his breathing. He couldn't shake the sudden dread shooting through him. Why was Willuch worried about Ben Organa? The boy was associated with the Resistance, and General Organa herself. If anything, the First Order should be glad the boy was gone.

"W-what's happened, sir?"

It was then that Hux noticed how ashen Willuch's face was, and how tired he looked. Something was undoubtedly very, very wrong. A shot of dread ran through him. _What on earth was going on?_

"The Organa boy is missing."

 **AN: Let me know what you think! Please R &R!**


	2. The General

**AN: Second chapter here! Please let me know what you think** **∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿**

 **Chapter 2: The General**

 _The lights of the ballroom were blinding as Hux led the boy out onto the floor, weaving in and out of the crowd. Standing before each other, they bowed. Then Hux stepped forward and took one of the boy's hands in his own, and placed his other hand on his waist._

 _Soon, they were dancing._

 _"I know you," Hux said triumphantly, his grip on the boy's waist tightening; "You're Ben Organa."_

 _The boy raised an eyebrow, a coy smile on his red lips, "Finally figured it out, did you? What gave it away?"_

 _"I've seen you before, in holo-vids."_

 _"I'm surprised a First Order officer would get access to the HoloNet at all." Organa said curtly, his robes billowing around him as they spun around the room. He truly did look spectacular. Hux tugged him closer, his fingers brushing greedily over the boy's spine._

 _"Well, I won't deny that our access is hindered, but if you're smart you quickly learn to bypass all the restrictors and what-not,"_

 _Organa hummed, biting his lip, "Hmmm. That makes sense, but why were you watching_ me? _"_

 _"To suss out the enemy of course," Hux smirked, suddenly pushing Organa away before guiding him into a twirl. The resulting yelp was worth the risk._

* * *

General Armitage Hux woke up suddenly, drenched in a cold sweat with the sheets sticking uncomfortably to his pallid skin. He sighed in irritation, as he found his bearings. _Another nightmare_. It was always different, but each seemed strangely similar. There had been the same old cliffs, a tumultuous sea, _the boy_ , and an invisible force. The rest, had been strange. He'd had visions of his Starkiller, of his own troops, and Supreme Leader Snoke cackling madly. As usual, he couldn't remember anything else.

It was entirely uncomfortable.

The nightmares had been consistent for nearly fifteen years now, and no amount of sleeping pills or weird alien medicines seemed to stop them. It was a matter he kept closely to his chest, only disclosing to his doctors. It was embarrassing. He was a _general_ now, he couldn't let a silly thing like nightmares affect him. He had a ship to run, troops to direct, and orders to give out.

The First Order needed him. He couldn't let himself be weak. He wouldn't let himself.

Casting his sheets aside angrily, he sat up and pulled out his data-pad from the bedside table. Taking note of the time, he realised he was awake an hour earlier than usual, but that would just give him time to complete additional paperwork. He busied himself by looked over his schedule and work for the day. Meanwhile, his nightmares were already being pushed to the back of his mind.

Just a minor inconvenience.

* * *

After washing up, and getting dressed, Hux was only a foot outside the door before the intercom in his room buzzed at him loudly.

"What is it?" he asked, voice weary from sleep.

 _"General Hux, sir,"_ it was Lieutenant Mitaka, sounding professional as always; _"…It's Supreme Leader Snoke. He wants to speak with you immediately."_

"Very well." Hux replied gruffly.

* * *

Supreme Leader Snoke cut an impressive figure, towering several stories high as he sat upon his ancient throne. His black cloak clung to him like the darkest nebula, and his beady eyes set in his marred face were ever watchful. Even in hologram form, he was utterly terrifying.

Hux stared up at him, as much in awe as he had been at their first meeting.

He only hoped this meeting would be just as cordial as that initial one. Being berated by Snoke was not a pleasant experience, and sometimes resulted in severe injury, or the occasional death. In his time, Hux had seen many Knights of Ren and other various dark servants succumb to such punishment. It made the hairs on his neck stand on end just thinking about it.

"General…" Snoke said, his ancient voice cracking through the holo-connection. It seemed to reverberate around the room, shaking its very foundations.

"Supreme Leader. You summoned me?" Hux asked, bowing his head in respect and ignoring the shower of dust that had sullied his clothes and carefully kempt hair.

"I've had a vision…" Snoke crowed, fingers visibly tightening around the rests of his throne; "A very strange vision indeed…"

Hux stayed silent, waiting for the dark figure to continue. Already, he could feel his patience slipping, hating all the dramatics of the Supreme Leader. Such frivolities were a waste of time. How many mighty regimes had fallen to their knees, all because of dramatics?

"Tell me, General, you were assigned as part of diplomatic deployment under Captain Lyre Willuch fifteen years ago, were you not?"

Hux blinked, surprised by the question. First the nightmare, and now he was being reminded of his mistakes? This was _not_ going to be an enjoyable meeting then.

"Yes, there were many diplomatic missions that year, if I remember correctly." He said airily. Of course, Hux knew exactly which mission Snoke was referring to. No one in the First Order would ever let him forget it. The Golden Boy Gone Rogue. The Ambitious Armie Hux. _The Jedi Killer_ -

"Do you remember your assignment to the planet Reeah?"

Feigning confusion, Hux frowned, "Reeah?"

"You visited a stormy quadrant of that planet, with the instructions to make an alliance with the hosting government there. The mission was a failure, however, and there was an inquiry from the New Republic Senate as to our activities."

"…I remember that."

" _Do you_ , General?"

"As if it were yesterday," admitted Hux, resisting the urge to swear bloody murder.

"Then you remember the boy. Ben Organa."

There it was. _There it was_. Hux bit the inside of his cheek violently, drawing blood, as he clenched his fists. _Such a beautiful boy_.

"…yes." He muttered between clenched teeth. _Oh god, the Supreme Leader knew_.

"I thought you would," Snoke said, a snaggle-toothed smile crossing his lips; "He was in my vision. I saw him so plainly."

Hux resisted the urge to look up, "Oh?"

"You've been dreaming of him, General." Snoke stated simply, pointing one bony finger at him.

 _He knew_ , Hux thought again, panic wiring through his gut in great spikes. Guilt, shame, confusion, and everything in between, plaguing him for over a decade. It hadn't been his fault though… _oh, kriffing hell_.

"Tell me, General, what do you know of Ben Organa?"

Hux's mind blanked. What did he know, really? Not much. How weird that his dreams were filled with Ben Organa's tormenting image, but the only things Hux knew about him could barely have filled a profile on any ridiculous dating site on the HoloNet.

"I only know that the Organa boy disappeared during negotiations between the Reeah colonists and several different political factions; and that he was the sole son of Rebels Senator Leia Organa and smuggler Han Solo. He was only fourteen." _He had beautiful eyes and a keen mind_.

"…and nephew to Jedi Luke Skywalker." Snoke said, suddenly sitting up straighter on his throne; "But were you aware, General, of _who_ was father to Luke and Leia?"

Hux shook his head. Did it really matter?

Snoke laughed, "Luke and Leia were born to Anakin Skywalker, only you would know him by the name Darth Vader."

There was a moment of silence, as Hux processed what he'd just heard. Darth Vader. _The_ Darth Vader? Devastating right hand to Sheev Palpatine, the figure-head and mastermind behind the once great Galactic Empire. Well, that was certainly news. There had been rumours, of course, and plenty of propaganda designed to discredit Leia Organa and her brother, but Hux had never paid that much attention. Still, that explained a lot. The Force potency, for one.

"Do you know what that makes Ben Organa?" Snoke asked, not expecting an answer; "That makes him the sole heir to Darth Vader's power and legacy. The twins are beyond hope, but not him. He is young and could be turned. With Darth Vader's grandson under our banner, the First Order will be more powerful than ever before."

A shiver ran down Hux's spine. It was certainly an enticing notion. Ben Organa, powerfully dark and twisted, kneeling at their feet and ready to bring a swift death upon their enemies. How many more planets would run to them, ready to answer the call that Vader's legacy inspired?

If only. The problem being the boy was _gone_. As dead as his grandfather.

"…You must be the one to find the boy, General. You will bring him to me."

Hux stopped, looking carefully at the Supreme Leader. What in the hells did he mean, _find the boy?_ The boy was gone. Lost. Dead. Everyone inside and outside of the New Republic knew that. A boy like Ben Organa didn't just disappear, so he had to be dead. There was no other explanation.

Snoke glowered, as if sensing Hux's disbelief, "Find the Organa boy, General. Bring him before me. His purpose is great and his potential even greater. He will be a strong ally and faithful servant."

"…is the boy not… dead?"

"The Force showed him to me, clear as day. The boy is _alive_ , General."

.

.


	3. The Search Begins

**AN: chapter 3 is here! Let me know what you think**

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 **Chapter III: The Search Begins**

 _"I will not stand for this!" Senator Organa snarled, each word firing straight through Hux; "The First Order has taken my son!"_

 _Hux shrank back in his seat, cowed. Meanwhile, the rest of the room was tittering and whispering excitedly as they watched the pure spectacle before them. The entire situation was scandalous and was no doubt being leaked onto the HoloNet at that precise moment._

 _Hux's fellow officers gave him side-long looks. They didn't believe him. They'd all trained beside him and knew what he was like. None of them would expect any better of him. He'd been called the Leech, the Ambitious Armie, and every other nickname in the book. His reputation preceded him._

 _Only Captain Willuch was red in the face, clearly affronted._

 _"Preposterous! I will not tolerate such accusations! None of my officers have touched a single hair on your son's head!" Willuch barked._

 _"My son is missing!" Senator Organa hissed, standing up from her chair with fire in her eyes; "And I_ will _find the one responsible, mark my words!"_

* * *

Hux found himself pacing back and forth. It was a curious habit he'd picked up in his youth, brought on by long nights of study and research. Specifically, for situations where he was stumped. Only this wasn't a complicated calculus assignment but rather a fifteen-year old cold case.

Captain Phasma was sitting patiently, watching him meander aimlessly around his office.

"…you're not going to find Ben Organa any faster by wearing down the floorboards, you know." She pointed out, an amused smile on her lips.

"We are _mere_ months away from our greatest achievement – and the Supreme Leader wants us to go on a wild goose chase." Hux said bitterly, barely restraining himself from punching the nearest wall. Yet another terrible habit of his.

"The Starkiller will be finished, whether you find the boy or not."

"The Starkiller is _my_ achievement, I would see it completed at the _very_ least." Hux said, voice getting louder; "But the Supreme Leader wants us chasing down fairy tales and dead children."

Like _hell_ Hux would let anyone else take credit for it. Heaven forbid he become as unfortunate as the likes of Director Orson Krennic. Hux would rather die. He'd worked too hard, and come too far. Achieving rank of General at the age of thirty-four was no mean feat, after all.

"Perhaps you've been approaching this from the wrong angle." Phasma suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"You're an engineer – you can design a base, a ship, whatever you want. But you can't solve a mystery by yourself. You need a professional – a detective, or a bounty hunter."

" _No bounty hunters_. Besides our own officers should be more than capable." Hux said firmly, frowning at the mere thought of allowing a bunch of filthy scoundrels and money-grubbers on his ship. _When hell froze over, was more likely_.

Phasma folded her arms, displeased, "The disappearance of Ben Organa has been the talk of the New Republic for the last fifteen years, Hux. Don't you think everyone and their mother has tried to find him?"

"I know." Hux said, "But I haven't tried yet. And I was there."

* * *

Writing up a list of suspects, seemed as good as place to start as any.

Only, Hux had been pouring through the guest list for days now. It had been a large party, with many different political factions in attendance. Only that wasn't accounting for those who didn't attend, or additional guests like staff and party-crashers. It was giving Hux a headache. There were just so many goddamned _variables_.

Any of these people could have taken Ben Organa away, lured him from the party and done who knows what to him.

Hell, for all he knew, it could have been the First Order. There had been plenty of officers with Hux at the party, with enough reason to hate the Resistance and thus reason to hurt the Organa boy. Plenty of people still thought _Hux_ was the culprit, which had thankfully never been proven. He was still the favourite suspect on all the gossip sites, many of which accused him of doing positively vile things to the boy and dumping the body.

Hux had done very questionable and downright terrible things, but murdering Ben Organa certainly wasn't one of them. But then why did he still feel so damn guilty…?

He shook his head, trying desperately to rid himself of such thoughts.

His nightmares had no place in this investigation. None.

Instead, he looked back down at the guest list. There had been Senator, or rather, _General_ Organa's party, with Ben Organa himself, and no doubt quite a few Resistance members hidden amongst them. Hux would need to examine each one of them. It didn't matter that they were with him – they were all suspects.

Then there was the Trandoshans. They had been eager to secure the alliance, wanting new routes opened to improve trade and their own hunting activities. Such a deal would have benefited the First Order in the long run… the Trandoshans had never been exactly pleased with the Republic. Would they have hurt Ben Organa to secure those trade routes and to please the First Order?

The Gran were eager to ally themselves with the hosts, willing to do anything to uplift Malastare. Like the Trandoshans, they were just as interested in trade routes and pursuing their own interests. Was kidnapping or murder on their agenda too?

Thirdly, there had been at least two neutral parties, made up of colonised planets just like Reeah. No doubt they wanted to establish new trade routes with the hosts and new alliances to boot. Neutral parties were somewhat unpredictable. Mostly they remained pacifistic, and entirely unwilling to interact too much with the New Republic. What reason would they have to hurt the young Organa boy?

Then of course, there was the First Order. Like every other party there, the First Order had wanted a new alliance and new trade routes to play with. However, the First Order also carried with it an overwhelming amount of bitterness towards General Organa, the Resistance, and any next-of-kin. Every officer who had been in that deployment had had reason to hurt Ben Organa. Hux thoughtfully crossed himself, and Captain Willuch off the list. As their commanding officer, Willuch had known how important those negotiations had been. How much opportunity it would have given the First Order. He didn't seem a likely candidate.

As for himself, well he knew he was innocent. Even if everyone else seemed to doubt him.

Ultimately those negotiations had been important to the First Order. Any officer with a lick of sense would not have interfered. Which did not eliminate a whole lot of people. But it did not matter, the Ben Organa 'incident' had ruined the negotiation efforts and gotten them kicked off the planet anyway.

Lastly, the hosts themselves. A colony of Togruta that had taken up residence on Reeah only a mere few centuries beforehand, now far, far away from the Togruta home planet of Shili. Reeah was an out of the way sort of planet, lost to time, but it had become more involved in galactic politics as the Outer Rim continued to blossom. Thus, the perfect opportunity for trade routes, all which bypassed Reeah itself. The Togruta had been excited to bargain with their neighbours.

The big question was, if this was all a political brawl, why the hell would any of these parties hurt a seemingly insignificant boy? To curb the interests of General Organa and the Republic? Or to hurt the next generation of Jedi?

Or perhaps it had been an accident caused by a rogue party member, and all this fuss was now a cover-up. The political fallout from those all years ago had certainly hurt the First Order's chances at establishing meaningful ties with Reeah, and perhaps the real culprit had anticipated such a reaction. No one wanted to be blamed for the boy's disappearance, so now they were all remaining silent.

If Ben Organa's disappearance wasn't politically motivated, then what was it?

Hux wasn't sure.

Then, considering everything, Hux still wasn't certain whether or not they were hunting down a dead body. Sure, the galaxy was big, but someone like Ben Organa couldn't just disappear, could he?

Someone else would have had to have seen him.

.

.


	4. The Blue Room

**A/N: In which Hux makes (slow) progress. Please R &R!**

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 **Chapter 4: The Blue Room**

 _It was getting late, but the party was still going. It was much louder, more raucous than it had been a few hours earlier. Which meant the guests were considerably drunker and much more eager to dance. Hux had even seen a few of his fellow officers joining in, which meant the party was truly starting to become_ tolerable _. That was as good a sign as any._

 _Only, Hux didn't care for the festivities at all. At least not when Ben Organa was around._

 _The boy had run out on him after their dance, leaving Hux utterly bewitched and entirely determined to find him. He wasn't sure how this sort of relationship would ever work, but Hux didn't care. He had to have him. Not even the Supreme Leader himself could stop him. There was a_ fire _coursing through his belly and Organa was the fuel._

 _As he strode out into the garden, he finally spotted him._

 _Ben Organa was perched by the fountain, hidden behind the hedges. He was running a hand through the water, only to float it above his head and into a series of complicated patterns. He was playing._

 _Like a moth to a flame, Hux made towards him._

* * *

A good couple of months' work had finally lead up to this moment.

Hux stood in the centre of the room, which was engulfed in blue holograms that showcased furniture and items that belonged to a different planet entirely. The detailing was painstakingly intricate, even down to the holo-occupants' clothes and faces. Everything had to be perfect for this work.

"What are we looking at here, General?" Phasma asked, looking over the holo-graphic scene in front of them. The other officers in the room looked equally intrigued.

"This is a simple recreation – of the party at Reeah. Using witness statements, security cams, HoloNet material, and what-have-you, we've successfully recreated the 48-hour window of Ben Organa's movements right up to his disappearance. This room here is the main ballroom, where he spent a few hours of the night."

As if on cue, holo-Ben strode to the front, practically floating as his robes billowed around him. He looked beautiful even in holo-form. A shiver ran down Hux's spine. He quickly tore his eyes away from the hologram, and forced himself to resume his usual monotonous expression. Now was _not_ the time for sentiment.

"Now, take note of which people he interacts with." Hux continued, waving at the holograms.

Holo-Ben flickered and disappeared, only to reappear beside his mother and the people in her party. His expression had gone sour and his body-language almost hostile. _Teenage rebellion_ , thought Hux unwittingly.

Holo-Ben flitted about, mostly tailing his mother, and listening to her interact with various guests from all the different political factions present. Holo-Ben looked bored, and before the hour was up, was already speeding towards the exit.

Right on cue, obnoxious as ever, Holo-Hux appeared. He looked considerably younger and _oh so_ smug in his neatly pressed petty officer's uniform. The present Hux's cheeks flushed and he suddenly felt hot under his collar. _God,_ _how embarrassing._

A few officers snickered, but Hux quickly silenced them with his steely gaze. None of that.

Hux sped through the next sequences, all of which were of Holos Hux and Ben dancing about for a good hour. He'd already relived it again in his office earlier, thankfully in _private_ , where no one could see him gawking at Ben and doubling over in embarrassment at himself. Not to mention the fact that he'd teared up… how utterly unprofessional. _God, he was turning into a sentimental piece of bantha-shit_.

"Then, we can see again, he's left the ballroom," quiet laughter reverberated around the room, as Holo-Ben practically disentangled himself from an overly handsy Holo-Hux. Hux glared viciously at his officers before continuing; "…only to head out into the gardens. We don't have any security footage for that but I can tell you I was there for the entirety."

He waved at the holograms again, the scenes shifting forwards into different rooms. Holo-Hux and Holo-Ben began to wander around the property, talking. Hux sped through the scenes quickly. A few officers chuckled quietly and Hux had finally had enough.

"The next one of you to laugh gets a laser bolt in their brain." He said calmly, hand already resting on his blaster. The room fell silent, save for the flickering of the holo-images. "Thank you."

At some point, Holo-Hux left, and Holo-Ben returned to the party. Holo-Ben continued to tail his mother, following her around as she interacted with the other delegates.

Again, Hux sped through the scenes until Holo-Ben and his mother finally left the party and retired to their rooms. After only ten minutes, Holo-Ben stormed out.

"We can see here; he's left his room only to head out into the gardens."

Phasma frowned, "You said there aren't any cameras for the gardens."

"Yes, unfortunately not," Hux said, shaking his head; "This is the last recorded appearance of Ben Organa. At some point from here, he disappeared. We need to find out why he went into the garden. Was he going to meet someone? Who else was in the garden?"

Hux waved his hand and the holograms flickered and finally disappeared. All the officers in the room look curious, speculating over what they had just seen. It was certainly a lot of information to absorb. Hux could only hope that this investigation was successful.

"Now considering what we know: Ben Organa interacted directly with his mother, myself, and staff, as well as secondarily, in his mother's conversations with other party guests." Hux said, waving his hand and summoning all the relevant holo-figures; "…which means Ben Organa was either meeting with one or more of the following guests in the garden, or he was victim to a stray attack by another guest or stray at the party."

"Now we begin the process of elimination." Hux said, only to bring forth all the holo-figures; "Firstly, we can eliminate anyone still at the party or in site of surveillance from the moment he entered the garden up until his mother reported him missing."

With a wave of his hand, a great number of holo-figures disappeared from the room, Holo-Hux included. Meanwhile, Hux stalwartly tried to ignore his officers, several of whom were exchanged knowing looks. _Let them speculate_. He didn't give a damn.

"We can consider most of these people 'innocent', until new evidence proves otherwise. They may be obstructers of justice, or accomplices, but for now we'll just ignore them and focus on our primary suspects."

Hux turned to his officers, a determined look in his eye. He gestured to the twenty-or-so remaining holo-figures.

"Here are our primary suspects. I want to know everything about them. What they've been doing ever since they could walk and talk. Don't skimp on any details. The Supreme Leader wants Ben Organa, and he shall have him. Am I clear?"

A resounding chorus of 'yes sir' ran out and Hux smirked.

Finally, _progress_.

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 **A/N: yes Hux the entire First Order knows you have a super embarrassing crush on Ben Organa. Whoops.**

 **Pining Hux is a FO meme. Hux shoots everyone who mentions it so it's on the down-low.**

 **Secret FO memes.**


	5. The Suspects

**AN:This chapter is dedicated to my awesome new friend kleineschwarzemoewe! Their art is amazing and they've been going through a rough time lately. You are awesome and wonderful! Also, thanks to everyone who's reviewed or left a kudos so far! It's wonderful to see support for this story! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°**

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 **Chapter 5: The Suspects**

 _"Leave me alone."_

 _Hux jumped as Organa addressed him without even needing to turn around. The boy was still playing with the fountain water, which was swirling ever faster up in the air. Involuntarily, Hux found himself following its hypnotic path. He shook his head, clearing his mind._

 _"I wanted to apologise," Hux said, stepping closer tentatively; "I came on a bit strong. The First Order doesn't let its officers out much."_

 _Which was true, of course. It didn't help that Hux had never met anyone quite like Organa before. He'd certainly never seen anyone who looked quite as stunning either. Which, of course, wasn't an excuse for how overbearing he'd been acting before, but it made him feel less bad about it._

 _"Oh?"_

 _Hux nodded, "You know, one of the only reasons I come on these missions is for the food, to tell you the truth."_

 _Organa looked amused, "The_ food? _"_

 _"Absolutely," Hux asserted; "Have you seen this stuff? Remarkable. One hundred times better than the slop they serve on starships."_

 _"Huh, I hadn't thought about it like that. But I'm quite used to eating alien food."_

 _"Of course, but to any First Order officer, this food is to die for." Hux said; "I'm curious though, what brings you here? Shouldn't you be training in the ways of the Jedi-space-wizard-martial arts or whatever nonsense?"_

 _Organa frowned, face darkening, "None of your business."_

 _A touchy subject then. Not that Hux was concerned with keeping his nose out of other people's business. That wasn't how a successful petty officer operated. He was an expert at sticking his nose where it shouldn't be. Even the ire of a force user couldn't sway him. Call it force of habit._

 _"That's not fair. You can read my mind." Hux pointed out, "Quid pro quo, and all that."_

 _"Fine. I needed a break." Organa said simply, not quite looking Hux in the eye; "So I'm here with Mother, and not with Uncle Luke…"_

* * *

Hux and his team had been scouring through the suspects list with a fine-tooth comb for what seemed like days now. Trying to place these people in or around a fifteen-year old crime scene was not easy. A mission made even more difficult by the fact that Hux could hardly sleep at all. His damned nightmares just wouldn't leave him alone. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Ben Organa's stupidly attractive face and the horror show of him disappearing.

If anything, the nightmares had gotten worse ever since Snoke had sent him on this fool's errand. He was sleeping less and less, if only to escape from the horrible images in his head. They were tormenting him. Most nights, he found it was better to be awake, than asleep.

The only upside had been that he'd had more time to go-over the investigation.

Firstly, there had been the First Order officers. Roughly four officers had been identified amongst the suspects, all of whom had unaccounted for during Organa's disappearance. Luckily, they had been easy to track down. All his former fellow-officers had gotten older, and Hux still didn't like any of them. He'd always been overly ambitious, and his peers had resented him for it. Likewise, Hux had disliked their easy-going nature and laziness.

Not much had changed. Hux was successful, and they were all flailing beneath him.

But just as he'd suspected, they hadn't been very helpful at all. All their new statements had been vague, and they'd all had trouble recalling any details. The only thing that really stood out to them, was the fact that Hux had been 'rubbing his hands' over Organa all night.

Which was bullshit. He hadn't been _that_ overbearing. The boy was attractive, and Hux had eyes. Was that a crime?

Still, their whereabouts were still in question. One man, Jeffers, had insisted he'd gone out for a smoke, which had turned into conversation with some attractive alien delegate. The security cameras did confirm this, with Jeffers on the arm of the delegate some two hours later. In that time frame, however, Jeffers had had plenty of time to dispose of Organa.

Then the two women, Krate and Rees, had maintained that they'd been running around in the hedge maze for most of the night.

Hux had asked them both, how they could spend _hours_ in a hedge maze. They'd blushed, and Hux had gotten his answer. He probably shouldn't have wondered at all considering that the two had married only a few years later. Young love, and all that. Of course, it was convenient that only they could confirm the other's whereabouts.

Then there had been Varrin, a worm of a man. He'd always hated Hux the most. Hux did not feel warmly towards Varrin either. Of course, Varrin too had spun some elaborate story about going outside for a smoke and talking with other aliens, whose names or species he conveniently couldn't remember. Bullshit, all of it. Hux didn't have any proof on him though, only convenience.

Not surprisingly, investigating outside of the First Order was a nightmare.

They had many alien and human suspects, all of whom were difficult to track down.

Most troubling were of course the Trandoshans; an aggressive species known for hunting. There were at least five suspects among their party – all of whom were notorious gamesmen. Hux wouldn't be surprised if one of them had taken Ben Organa as a trophy and mounted his corpse on a wall. It would just be Hux's luck if the First Order had to invade some Trandoshan's heavily-guarded property to retrieve a long-rotted skeleton.

Three of the Trandoshan suspects had entered the gardens, and hadn't been accounted for until the next day, all of them face down in the garden beds, drunk off their heads. Any account from them was fraught with doubt. Stupid drunkards.

Then the remaining two Trandoshans had left the party early, shortly after Organa had entered the gardens. They'd been caught on the hangar-bay cameras later, leaving the gardens and carting a large amount of cargo. Only, tracking their ship had simply lead to their homeworld.

If Organa had been in the cargo, he could have been lost at any time during that lengthy trip, or imprisoned on Trandosha itself. There was no way for Hux to be certain, unless the First Order could infiltrate Trandosha and track down the suspects.

 _God,_ he hated this job. Nothing was ever easy.

They had made _some_ progress however, by managing to eliminate several the suspects off the list.

The few Gran on the list had been ruled out, effective immediately. Thanks to Mitaka's clever research, and his hacking of decade-old cam records, they'd tracked the five Gran suspects through holo-recordings. They'd found that the Grans had left the party via the garden, only to appear in their private hangar bays a few minutes later and head off to an afterparty. The cameras at the afterparty, and on-board their ship maintained that Ben Organa had not been with them, and was not disguised amongst their number.

He supposed one of them could have attacked Organa within those precious minutes between the initial party and the hangar bay, but they would have had to have passed the body along, or gotten rid of it. He doubted that very much. There was still a slim chance of their involvement, but Hux would ignore them for now.

At least some progress had been made then.

* * *

As Hux was mulling about in his office, juggling both Starkiller reports and Ben Organa files, he was struck by a sudden nasty thought.

Perhaps this had been a matter of blackmail?

They'd gone over so many potential motivations for hurting the Organa boy, but he hadn't really considered the potential for blackmail. It was certainly plausible. The Skywalker family were a walking talking _smorgasbord_ of wealth and power. Which came with many, many enemies, including the Hutts, and the remnant of the Empire. Yes, blackmail was very plausible.

If so, the culprit had likely kidnapped the boy, and then demanded a ransom from his mother. It wasn't difficult to imagine. General Organa wouldn't want such a thing broadcast, lest her boy be hurt, and neither would the kidnapper, at the risk of losing his quarry. Of what Hux knew of her, General Organa seemed not cold, _per se_ , but very focused on her work and everything else considered secondary. Not unlike himself. If her love for politics and a stable galaxy had outweighed her love for her son, then she would not want such a deal made public.

It was certainly a possibility. As such, Hux had a duty to investigate.

He thought about it, mind wandering, and suddenly frowned. Kriffing hells. _He had no way to get his answers from the source_. He couldn't waltz into the Resistance Base and interrogate General Organa about her missing son. He'd be shot. Or strangled. Or dispatched in a way equally unpleasant.

There was just no way around it. It would be nigh impossible for him to infiltrate the Resistance. His troops were too steadfast, too set in their ways, so they'd be sighted instantly.

Considering the range of suspects, there was no easy way to go about espionage. For instance, he couldn't very well infiltrate Trandosha with any sense of ease! That stupid planet was part of the New Republic, and had become wary of the First Order in recent years.

Suddenly, Hux screamed, his throat hoarse. _This was a fucking nightmare_.

Another dead end! This was impossible. Why was the Supreme Leader obsessed with a dead child? As if a singular child could pull the First Order upwards from obscurity into something more. _How arrogant!_

Anguished, Hux punched the wall and almost instantly regretted it. Cradling his bruised hand, he eyed the now sizable hole in the plaster mournfully. _Goddamnit_. He'd gone and lost his temper again.

As he tore open a bacta bandage, a thought occurred to him. What was it Phasma had said, all that time ago? _A professional_. He needed a professional.

With a heady sigh, Hux switched on his comm-link: "Captain."

 _"Yes, General?"_

"…I need your assistance."

* * *

It had come to this.

Hux looked at the congregation of aliens before him, distaste curling in his belly. Normally, he'd never allow such filthy beings like bounty hunters on board his ship. They were rowdy, greedy and untrustworthy folk. The lowest of the low, the scum of the galaxy. He wouldn't be surprised if they had managed to pocket First Order property walking down a bare hallway.

But Ben Organa had been missing for well over a decade and Hux was desperate. They were _so_ very close, but only someone as slippery as a bounty hunter could ever track down the final pieces to this puzzle.

If the Supreme Leader insisted he chase after a ghost story, well then Hux would have to hire the sort of people that knew how to track down ghosts. Thus, his current predicament.

Captain Phasma had invited them. Of course, _she_ knew which hunters to employ. Although, despite his misgivings, Hux was slightly impressed by the gathering. They all looked proficient and like they could pluck a needle from a haystack. In other words, right for the job.

The human mercenary Bazine Netal stood by the wall, looking as sly as ever and standing apart from the rest.

Similarly, Mercurial Swift was glowering at everyone and standing by himself, eager to distance himself from all the fresh-faced youth in the room. He was getting on in age, but was still as proficient as ever, according to Phasma at least.

Then there was a three-man trio of shamanistic Gand just standing about quietly, already proving to be wholly more tolerable than the rest of the hunters in the room. Gand were a bit unconventional amongst bounty hunters, but were brilliant detectives and thus, suited the job.

Meanwhile, two Stormtroopers were trying to break up a 'disagreement' between Bala-Tik of the Guavian Death Gang, and one of Tasu Leech's less-intelligent groupies. Hux was tempted to shoot them both and put an end to it right then and there. It was only Kanjiklub's expertise and Bala-Tik's efficiency that had him convinced otherwise.

The rest of the hunters and mercenaries looked equally as capable, judging from the records that Phasma had given him anyway. If anyone could help them track down Ben Organa, surely it was these people.

"Welcome aboard the _Finalizer_ , everyone." Hux said loudly, grabbing the attention of every occupant in the room - a skill he had developed in his youth; "I've invited you on board today to offer you an opportunity. If successful, you will be rewarded handsomely, I assure you."

Already, Hux could see the greed in their eyes. Perfect.

"This job will not be easy for you. The First Order wants Ben Organa, son of Leia Organa and Han Solo."

A series of murmurs rippled through the room, and the bounty hunters exchanged confused looks. Surely, they were just as confounded as Hux had been when Snoke had started him off on this fool's errand. Ah, well, they'd just have to accept it.

Hux pulls up several photos of Ben Organa to show them.

"This is what the boy looked like, fifteen years ago." Hux said, already pulling up more photos; "…he'd be nearly thirty-years old now. We've used our tech – from facial recognition, from both himself and his relatives - to predict what he could look like now. This is our target. We need him _alive_. This is priority number one – on direct orders from Supreme Leader Snoke."

"Is the boy not dead, sir?" one of the Gand asked in choppy Basic, voice buzzing through her respirator.

"Through his superior Force power, the Supreme Leader has sensed the boy's presence. He believes that the boy is very much alive." Hux said. To his credit, he managed to keep a straight face. He couldn't publicly doubt the Supreme Leader, especially not in front of scummy bounty hunters. The Force may be bantha-shit, but the hunters didn't need to be reminded of that anyway.

A tangible sense of excitement seemed to reverberate around the room. Already, the hunters were probably imagining not the First Order's bounty on the boy, but the bounty on him from the rest of the galaxy. Leia Organa was rich, and would pay handsomely for the return of her son. Then other species, such as the Hutts would love to put the boy on a spike for the sins of his mother.

Such was the way of the galaxy. Credits, credits, credits.

"We will of course, provide you with the findings of our own ongoing investigation. Any leads you can provide us, anything at all, will be recompensed. Just find the boy, and bring him to us." Hux said, already turning to leave the room. His officers could handle the rest of them.

"…Tear the galaxy apart if you have to." He added.

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 **AN: boom! new chapter!**

 **Hux lets Phasma do her job (which she is brilliant at), and stuff actually gets done (no surprise there)!**

 **When the hell will Kylo/Ben show up? Who the fuck knows?**


	6. Strange Findings

**AN: Please R &R!**

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 **Chapter 6: Strange Findings**

 _It wasn't the complete truth, that much was clear to Hux. Organa was not good at covering up his emotions. Of course, he was young, so that much was expected. He seemed to be particularly bitter at the mention of family. Hux knew all too well what that was like. Any emphasis on family was enough to make him want to hurl. Familial piety? What a joke._

 _So, he stopped, any potential snide comment halting at the tip of his tongue._

 _They were almost… alike. It felt wrong to even suggest it, but there was something there. He peered closely at the boy, suddenly curious._

 _Away from the glamour of the party he finally noticed the dark circles beneath the boy's eyes and the hollowness of his cheeks. The thinness of his frame was more obvious beneath his robes. He looked almost sickly, as if he had not slept well in a long, long time._

 _"I guess we're in the same boat then – stuck at a mindless party." Hux said instead, offering a tentative smile; "I could leave you here, or we could walk around together and not be so bored. What do you say?"_

 _Organa looked at him, surprised, and then smirked, "Fine. What do First Order officers do for fun?"_

 _"Let me show you."_

* * *

Mercurial Swift had become hardened in his later years. He'd learned all too quickly the dangers of the job. He took less risks these days, and kept his mouth shut. The benefits of youth were quickly slipping away, and he couldn't recover the same anymore.

This job was different though.

He didn't care about finding the Organa boy, but the amount of credits the First Order was offering was damned well worth the trouble. Not to mention, he could never resist the chance to stick it to the Rebels, or, as they called themselves now, the Resistance. If that involved turning over the long-lost poster-child for the Skywalkers over to their mortal enemies, then so be it. It would be a tiny revenge, but revenge all the same.

In a particularly daring move, Swift had managed to secure a mole aboard the _Meson Martinet_ , which belonged to a band of pirates who more oft than not dealt directly with the Resistance. Their leader was none other than the Crimson Corsair himself. They were a bunch of do-gooders, vigilantes, rag-tag justice seekers, and thoroughly annoying to boot.

Swift respected the Corsair's skills of course, but his moral-code infuriated him. As if bounty hunters like himself could ever be viewed as equal to the likes of the Rebels. They thought themselves morally superior, and didn't hide it.

Yikes. Just thinking about them was enough to make his skin crawl.

A series of rapid beeping broke Swift's line of thought. _Ah, his mole_.

The mole was just a simple astromech, rusted enough to go unnoticed, but in good enough condition that not even those aboard the _Martinet_ could resist picking it up. Good astromechs were expensive and hard to come by.

"Good job, Ayy-Bee." Swift grunted into the comm, noting that the _Martinet_ had landed at one of the bases of the Resistance. It hadn't been easy to figure out which base to select, or even where to find the bases in the first place, but Swift wasn't the best for nothing.

It was too bad that the planet D'Qar was far too heavily guarded by Resistance starships for Swift to do the reconnaissance himself. He wasn't _that_ mad, credits be damned.

"…alright, just head off the ship with the rest of the crew and slip away at the right opportunity. We need to be quick, _awright?"_

More beeping.

AB-464 had certainly been a sound investment. Such a good little droid.

Sure enough, Swift had barely taken the time to stretch his legs and refill his mug of caf before AB-464 was whistling and beeping excitedly. He shouldn't feel this much affection for a bucket of bolts but _goddamn_. Maybe he should have started trusting droids at a much earlier point in his career. Or maybe he was just going senile.

Swift looked at the screen, sipping at his caf. Through the cam, he could see AB-464 making their way through the Resistance hangar bays, passing by overtly cheerful Resistance members. _God, they were making him sick and he couldn't even get a great focus on them._

Soon enough, AB-464 was in the inner-workings of the base, rolling steadily to their destination.

Swift was just relieved that the clearance codes had worked. He shouldn't be this nervous, he was good at his job after all, but he didn't want to mess this up. The pay out from the First Order was no laughing matter. It was the sort of amount he could retire on. Not that he would ever retire but…

Then AB-464 whooped excitedly, drawing his attention more closely to the screen again. The door on the screen slid open, the green light on the panel flashing its approval. The codes were good then.

 _They were in._

The room was dimly-lit, and sparsely decorated. There were, however, plenty of photos on the walls of all sorts of strange beings. All of them smiling and hugging, or shaking hands with, the occupant of the room. This person was clearly well-loved, and celebrated.

AB-464 rolled further into the room, keeping a slow and steady pace that was enough to scan through most of the objects in the room, as well as keep Swift's anxiety down. Rushed work was a recipe for disaster, and AB-464 had been programmed to remember just that.

"…can you hear him, Luke?"

Swift froze, and made AB-464 stop too. Voices, talking quietly.

He breathed in and out slowly, calming himself. Not to worry. Droids flitting in and out of rooms was perfectly normal, and AB-464 looked just like any other Resistance droid. Slowly, he turned AB-464 around, until the cam was focused upon the direction of the voices.

 _There_. Swift could see a figure just through the open door of the adjoining room. The figure, a woman, was perched on the bed with a holo-cam in her hands. She was talking with the person on the other end, a man dressed in robes who looked like a hermit, or some sort of wise-man.

 _"You know I can't."_

The woman, who Swift now recognised as General Leia, frowned, her eyes closed in pain; "…but could he still be okay? Sometimes, it's almost like he's still here… somehow."

 _"I'm sorry."_ The man said, shaking his head; _"I just don't know. I haven't given up though, no matter what you might think."_

Leia shook her head, "I didn't think you had. I thought that maybe I had."

" _You? Give up? That doesn't sound like the Leia I know at all."_

Leia smiled, and Swift was shocked to see tears in her eyes. He had never seen the great Leia Organa cry, and it certainly wasn't satisfying in the way he imagined it would be at all. Instead, it just made him feel terrible too, as if his son had died. _God, he didn't even have a son._

 _"…but you know, I sense him too. But it's clouded, every time I think I'm close, he slips away."_

Leia stared at the man, who could only be her mysterious brother, and Swift was terrified to find that he couldn't read the emotions on her face at all. Almost like she was thinking, her brilliant mind ticking away.

"…so, I'm not going crazy then."

" _We should meet. In person. All the students miss you."_

"You're right. I miss them too, and I miss you most of all."

The hologram disappeared, and the General turned away. She made her way to the corner of the room, where she began lighting candles, and removing withered flowers from the decorative pots on the table. In the centre of it all were several holo-images, all the same boy. The boy's hair was thick and messy, and his eyes bright as stars. However, his smile was sad.

Ben Organa.

Suddenly, AB-464 moved towards the General, surprising both the woman herself, as well as Swift. _What was the little rustbucket doing?!_

When AB-464 merely took the withered flowers away from the General, ever polite as his function dictated, Swift breathed a sigh of relief. _Goddamn._ AB was too cute and ridiculously good at being an astromech.

Back to the boy. This mission had been relatively successful, but Swift hadn't really turned up anything. He still had no idea where the boy was.

It did, however, clarify one thing. General Leia Organa had not been blackmailed, if her correspondence with her brother indicated anything. In fact, it appeared both twins knew nothing of the boy's disappearance. How very interesting…

Though, Swift noted, neither seemed to think the boy was dead. With an almost eerie sense of certainty too…

Time to get out of this twisted system and chase down other leads. The sooner the better, he'd just have to wait for AB-464 to leave. He'd grown quite attached to the little rustbucket.

* * *

Half a galaxy away from Mercurial Swift, Bazine Netal was simpering at Grummgar's side, eager to look the part of the brain-dead girlfriend. What a common, and stupid mistake that was. People were so eager to see what they wanted to see. Luckily for her, it had worked every time, so she saw no need to drop the act.

Just as typical, Grummgar had been eager to work alongside her, especially when he had heard about the amount of credits that the First Order was offering. All they had to do was chase up leads on a dead boy, and the First Order had already done most of the research for them! Why, Bazine would have been stupid to not agree.

Of course, she had done some research herself. If this job were easy, why the boy's body would have been recovered long ago.

Accessing flight records from fifteen-years back had not been easy. What had been left was vague, and mostly unhelpful. Most importantly, however, was that there had been no mention of the boy. No sales, no stowaways, nothing. If the boy had managed to sneak aboard, then he would have been found immediately. The senses of the T'doshok were no laughing matter.

It didn't appear that he had been sold off mid-flight either.

So here they were, on Trandosha on the property of some of the Trandoshans, Gorssk and Grissk, who been at the party and on the ship. Bazine had been dragging Grummgar along to each property of the various suspects, wheedling in with excuses. Mostly involving interest in hunting and their trophies.

Unfortunately, most of the Trandoshans were barely accommodating, hissing in Basic and lumping about angrily. They did seem eager to show off their trophies though. Luckily, Gorssk and Grissk were like most of the other suspects, and were excited to have outsiders see their impressive collection of kills.

Whilst Grummgar would distract the suspects with questions about the trophies, Bazine would flit about, examining the trophies or rooting through their systems and archives, looking for any trace of the boy.

Here, the trophies had revealed nothing. She'd seen a few human heads in Gorssk and Grissk's collection, but none belonging to a teenage boy. So instead, she had slipped out of the room to 'freshen up', and was going through their systems instead.

She scanned the list of human trophies, eyes flickering at inhuman speeds.

Then she stopped. Bazine frowned.

No mentions of Ben Organa. None at all.

In fact, there were no trophies even close to matching his description. Most of the trophies were strong ex-Imperials, or the occasional bounty hunter.

She grimaced, clearly frustrated. She had been sure that one of the Trandoshans was responsibly. They were notoriously blood-thirsty, and always eager for new trophies. Why not snatch the son of a rich politician? Ughhh.

With the Trandoshans eliminated from her suspicion, it was time to track down new leads. Time to retrieve Grummgar and go. She needed to leave soon, lest she join the rest of the unfortunate souls on Gorssk and Grissk's walls.

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 **an intermission of sorts!**

 **the bounty hunters get to work. Mercurial Swift loves his cute droid friend. Bazine is too good to be stuck on some gross lizard-men planet with Grummgar.**

 **Next Time: Hux gets dangerously close to finding out the Truth! Hux confronts some suspects! There will be blood!**

 **Phasma still needs a promotion.**

 **as always: please let me know what you think! any theories? share them! just want to scream about hux or kylo or phasma? do that too**


	7. Cat and Mouse

**AN: Hux closes in~~~~~~! ╰(◉ᾥ◉)╯**

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 **Chapter 7: Cat and Mouse**

 _It was funny, how time could fly by when you were enjoying yourself._

 _Hux was quickly becoming acquainted with the sensation. Talking with Ben Organa was all sorts of fantastic. He hadn't been this relaxed in a while. Diplomatic events were usually boring and tended to drag on something awful. Everyone was dull and obsessed with politics. But this. This was perfect._

 _How could it be, that he could get along so well with someone he'd just met? Meet them toe-to-toe with every jape, and tease, and enjoy himself? To actually feel warmth towards someone instantly, as if you'd been missing them your entire life? That sort of thing didn't happen to people like Hux. It only happened on holo-movies and the series on the HoloNet, where perfect people from Hosnian Prime or Coruscant would fall in love instantly, and realise their feelings in a series of hilarious events. Yes, that sort of thing only happened in those videos that the cadets would watch when they were meant to be sleeping, ready for a day of gruelling training tomorrow. A perfect fantasy world that didn't, and would never exist._

 _Not for Hux. Not for him._

 _"It's been nearly two hours, why are you still hanging around me? Am I no longer an outlet for teenage rebellion, then?" Hux asked, voice teasing._

 _Why would Organa want to spend time with him? They should hate each other, two boys from opposites sides of political warfare. So why should Organa feel the same? Why should he feel those leaps in his chest, and the warmth in his heart?_

 _God, he was in over his head. There was no way they could ever be. Organa probably didn't even like him, and Hux couldn't say he blamed him for it. He was just universally disliked. His father, everyone back at the Academy, all his fellow officers…_

 _He didn't stand a chance, did he?_

 _Organa scoffed, "You'd like that wouldn't you?"_

 _Hux picked at his nails, faking disinterest, "Well, yes, I thought that was obvious."_

 _"Fine." Organa said, not looking him in the eye; "You're decent company. For a First Order officer."_

 _Hux's heart somersaulted in his chest, and he felt breathless. They were still hissing at each other, mostly playfully, and being tentative, but maybe… maybe there was some hope? After all, you didn't flirt with your enemy, didn't stare at them longingly, share long looks…_

 _"…and you're not half-bad for a little space-wizard brat." He said, smile curling at his lips._

 _"Never mind, I take it back."_

 _Hux sniggered, basking in the pink flushed across Organa's pale cheeks, and the fire in his eyes, the curl of his fists._

 _In a bold move, surprising even himself, he hooked Organa's arm through his own, pulling them closer together, so that with every step they would brush, hip to hip, with his hand squeezing gently at the boy's thin arm. Organa looked up at him, mouth open in surprise._

 _In that moment, it was almost like they were strangers running into each other on Hosnian Prime. Sparks were flying, and their eyes were running over each other, trying to memorise each inch of this new perfect person, and most importantly, it was impossible to tear themselves away._

* * *

Hux was starting to get frustrated. _Scratch that_ – Hux was more frustrated than usual.

Every minute he spent on this investigation was a minute he wasn't overseeing the Starkiller. Yes, Colonel Datoo was more than competent, but the Starkiller belonged to _Hux_. The Starkiller was _his_ achievement, and leaving it to someone else was just torture.

Meanwhile, information had leaked, and now a majority of the crew aboard the _Finalizer_ , as well as those on Starkiller base, were now aware of the Ben Organa mission. Things like this happened of course, the officers and the troops liked to gossip, and it was encouraged usually. You couldn't very well stop your troops from engaging in the occasional banter. Otherwise, you'd have an uprising.

The problem was, they were gossiping about _Hux_.

Some of things were saying were positively vile, like how Hux was attracted to dead fourteen-year olds, or that Hux was keeping dead body parts in his office (which was true enough – but not any body parts belonging to Ben Organa).

Then the rumours about his marriageable age had resurfaced yet again, with all sorts of allusions to how he was totally in love with a dead boy. Which was nonsense. Hux just didn't want to get married to anyone, he lived to _work_. That was all. Ben Organa had absolutely nothing to do with it. Nothing.

The theories just kept getting wilder and wilder, right up until someone had imposed a picture of his head and Ben Organa's together in a love heart and sent it to every higher-up on the _Finalizer_. It even ended up reaching Starkiller. That had not been a good day.

Anyway, he had ended up being forced to send more than a hundred troopers and officers to reconditioning - the ones he'd caught talking about him that is. Phasma had not been happy with him, but Hux didn't care. He'd warned them in that meeting to _shut the hell up_.

To add to his woes, the bounty hunters he'd commissioned were turning up nonsense where they should have been giving him leads.

Swift, Netal, the Gand _– goddamned all of them_ – were giving him increasingly confusing reports. 'He's not here', 'No trace of the boy', 'The boy never stepped foot on this ship'. It was all the same. Giving him absolutely _nothing_ to work with. Perhaps they were all working for the Resistance instead? Throwing him red herrings where they should have been giving him results! He wouldn't be surprised. _Kriffing hell_.

"I don't get it!" Hux hissed, clenching his hands until they went white; "That's the umpteenth hunter to turn up nothing!"

Phasma frowned, "Nothing?"

"Here's the reports!" Hux said, tossing them to her angrily. "There's nothing! Something's gone wrong, we've missed something! We need to double back. Go over our suspects again. Something isn't right…"

Phasma frowned as she poured over the reports, humming under her breath.

"…hmmm, well, perhaps it's time to go over the list of people _not_ under suspicion, sir. Are there any suspects that you haven't considered? Perhaps whom you wrote off initially?"

Hux paused. It was certainly worth a look. If the suspects they were looking into were turning up dead-ends… then maybe they just had to look into everyone else. On the off chance the bounty hunters weren't lying, then maybe he'd missed something. Something important…

It was certainly worth a look. The Supreme Leader expected _results_ after all.

"You're right, Captain. See to it that the investigative team starts looking back over all the party goers, and people on or near the property."

"Yes, sir."

That night, Hux pondered more and more over Phasma's words. How many people had he written off accidentally? Of course, himself, because he _knew_ he hadn't done it. If he had, surely the Supreme Leader would have figured it out just from looking into his head.

Then there were the other partygoers. Who had he written off? Those not in the garden when Ben Organa had disappeared, obviously, but anyone more specifically…?

Hux sat up from his bed, the gears in his brain suddenly ticking over. He took out his data-pad, and drew up the surveillance and records, looking through them intensely. There he was, dancing with Ben, whose robes were flowing beautifully around him like the flurry of the waves crashing against rock. It was hypnotic, and Hux found himself lingering over those same shots, fingers tracing the data-pad almost reverently, stopping over Ben's face.

He shook his head quickly, before diving back into the records.

There was the aftermath, of General Organa confronting him the next day in front of everyone in the hall, yelling angrily, with a burning hatred in her eyes. His fellow officers standing to the side awkwardly, the teetering of the crowd, and Captain Willuch. The only one to defend him, to come to his aid.

It was strange.

Why had he come to his aid? Was it just the protectiveness of a chief-petty officer over his subordinates, perhaps? Was it the First Order's interest in protecting its reputation? Or something else entirely?

It was almost as if Willuch had been certain of his innocence. As if he'd been _completely_ sure that Hux had not murdered or hid Ben Organa away. As if he'd had no doubts in his mind…

A light seemed to go off in Hux's brain, and the scales fell from his eyes.

"Lieutenant Mitaka." Hux said into the comms.

 _"Yes, sir?"_

"Set me up an appointment with Lieutenant Lyre Willuch of the _Desecrator_ as soon as possible. I need to speak with him – face to face."

* * *

Although it took two-standard days for Willuch's schedule to match-up with Hux's own, Hux did not mind. This only allowed him more time to think about how he would confront his previous superior, how he would greet him and talk to him. It also gave him time to think about _why_.

He still hadn't been able to think up a plausible explanation, but now, here in the conference room, with Willuch on the holo-speaker, he was certain he was going to find out.

"Willuch."

"Armitage, it is good to see you." Sure enough, even as a blue-hologram, Willuch's smile seemed to be genuine.

Hux nodded tightly, "This isn't a personal call, unfortunately. I need to ask you some questions."

"I expected as much. Fire away."

"All those years ago, on Reeah, why were you so certain of my innocence?"

Willuch's face turned ashen and a great tiredness seemed to settle over him.

"You knew of my reputation, who my father was. Why did you think me innocent?"

The old man stayed silent, pursing his lips. He looked almost conflicted. What could be the reason? Who was he protecting? How could he be so sure, unless he saw something?

"Who were you protecting, Willuch?" Hux asked again, getting more and more impatient.

Finally, Willuch looked at him, "…you."

There was a long moment of silence, as Hux processed the words. Surely, he'd just misheard. There was no way.

" _What?_ "

"I'm a friend to your father, Armitage. I have been for a long time."

"Yes, but, _I didn't do it_."

Willuch sighed and shook his head, "You were always dangerously ambitious, Armitage, word of mouth from anyone of us wouldn't have helped you. You're still considered the prime suspect to this day. I thought you innocent, but I noticed things that night. Things that would have incriminated you."

"What things?"

"I saw Ben Organa that night, in the garden. Around the time he went missing."

"Are you sure?"

"Dead sure. I saw him through the window, he was walking through the gardens."

"How would that incriminate me?"

"There was someone with him, a First Order officer. You'll forgive me, but you were the only one of us to talk with him that night. You two were practically attached at the hip."

 _Aha_. Someone had been with Ben Organa then, in his final hours. Someone knew what had happened, where the boy had gone. Hux only had to sniff them out.

"What did the officer look like?" He asked, impatient to know who had evaded justice these years, of who had let the blame fall to Hux.

Willuch shook his head, "It was too dark to tell. It could have been any of you."

* * *

Hux stared down at the man in front of him, the gears turning in his head at inhumane speeds. He'd considered the other cadets at the party, had gone over their alibis, had scoured through the security footage. Now, he was certain that the man in front of him had been the last person to see Ben Organa that night.

Seen him, positive. But whether the man had hurt Ben Organa? Hux was not sure.

So, he continued to flip through Lieutenant Varrin's report, pausing only to look up at the man every now and again. With each passing minute, Varrin seemed to get more and more restless, shifting in his seat, and his eyes flickering towards the door.

"Why did you follow Ben Organa into the garden?" Hux asked finally, cutting through the deafening silence.

"I was bored, I don't know."

"Yes, you do." Hux said dangerously.

"…I uhhhh…" Varrin looked awkward now, struggling to find his words.

"Spit it out."

"Fine. I saw him with you, and I thought, hey, he might want to hang out with me too then."

 _"Hang out?"_

The man went red.

Realisation seemed to sink over Hux and he became livid.

"Ah. You were _jealous_. You thought I was getting some action, and you always hated me, so you wanted some too. Anything to one-up that stupidly perfect Armitage Hux, right?"

"…I uhhhh… _propositioned_ him, but he said no, and then I backed off, I swear!"

"Really? You didn't get angry, maybe lash out? You were always prideful. Who would dare say no to you, right?"

"No! He told me that he turned you down too, so I just left!"

Hux glared, "Sorry?"

"…I uhhh, I left! That's it!"

"Alright, so let me get this straight. You propositioned the boy, then you left after he turned you down, and then the boy ends up _missing_ , and instead of coming out and admitting you saw him, you let me take the blame. Oh, and like the _coward_ you are, you've said nothing for the last fifteen years, and instead let _me_ take the fall for your idiocy."

"N-no-"

"Shut your mouth," Hux said coldly, before continuing; "…and to top it all off, the Supreme Leader _himself_ wants to see the boy returned, so not only have you gotten in my way, you've obstructed the goals of the Supreme Leader, and thus the First Order. How does that sound to you?"

"I d-didn't mean-"

Hux smoothly took out his blaster and shot him in the head. The smoke hadn't finished rising from his gun, and Hux was already busy thinking about how to fashion Varrin's removed head into a new curiosity piece for his office.

"Treason, I think." He muttered to himself as he slid his gun back into its holster. It was a pity he didn't get to use it more often.

* * *

Later that night, Hux slumped into his chair, defeated. Sure, he had a nice new 'curio' for his office and had gotten some sense of petty revenge for years of school-yard ridicule, but he was still no closer to finding Ben Organa. The few reports he'd received had turned up nothing. Of course, they had eliminated suspects, which made Hux's job a lot easier, but he still felt like they'd gotten nowhere.

The door chimed, and Hux groaned. He definitely was not in the mood for visitors.

"Come in." he said, all the same.

"General."

It was Captain Phasma, back again.

"I heard about Lieutenant Varrin. Congratulations."

"Yes, but I don't think he did it." Hux sighed, "He's not nearly smart enough to have fooled half the galaxy. He can't have killed the boy and disposed of the body. Or hidden him away somewhere. Something's wrong."

Phasma nodded, seeming to consider his words.

"Let me read the reports again." She said.

Hux handed her the reports with a sigh. He'd already gone over them with a fine-tooth comb, but it couldn't hurt to get a second pair of eyes.

"…'and no indication of him leaving with any of the suspects'…" Phasma read aloud, still pouring over the documents carefully.

"See? Nothing."

"That's not nothing, General."

"What?"

"It only says he didn't leave."

Hux stopped, a sudden realisation falling over him. He turned back to Phasma, a glint in his eye.

"…that's it. The boy never left the planet." Hux said quietly.

"What?"

"…if he never left Reeah in the first place," Hux said slowly; " _What if he's still there_?"

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **AN: Hux is tired and angry and murderous and all those wonderful evil feelings.**

 **I can't believe we as a collective aren't scrambling over the fact that Hux canonically likes to collect skulls like that's fucking hilarious and all sorts of comically evil. I love it.**

 **His hobby, apart from smoking and getting little to no sleep, is polishing his staggering skull collection.**

 **...**

 **also varrin is gross and likes to proposition 14yearolds shame him**

 **or in hux's case add to your sick af skull collection**


	8. Reeah

**A/N:** ***blows dust from monitor and boots up Microsoft Word with withered, aged hands***

 **I'M BACK.**

 **and I'm so excited to announce that there is now amazing fan-art for this fic!**

 **Please go take a look at this amazing piece of Hux and younger Ben, that my amazing friend kleineschwarzemoewe made over on tumblr:**

 **kleineschwarzemoewe .tumblr post/ 162010726156 /hux -and -ben -a- little-sketch- for-thwipp-thwipp (without the spaces)**

 **Their art is amazing and I'm so glad to be able to share it with the rest of you!** **This latest chapter is also dedicated to them, for being such a positive and inspiring presence for me: I love your art and I value your friendship so much! ✧( ु•⌄• )**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 8: Reeah**

 _They'd been dancing for well over an hour, with Hux finding every excuse to drag Organa back to the dancefloor._

 _For once, he was actually enjoying himself. Too bad it had to happen on the final night of negotiations. Of course, Hux's luck was_ always _half-assed: top of his class, but the envy of his peers; a legacy of the Empire, but with a dotard for a father; and now, finally feeling fire in his belly, but with little to time to enjoy such things. He didn't want it to end, but life had its of way of giving and just as viciously taking._

 _…and how could he want it to end? Ben Organa was fun to poke at, and he was enjoying the looks of disgust from his fellow officers, as well as the righteous fury practically coming off in waves from Senator Organa. There he was, the "Ambitious Armie", fraternising with the enemy. Fraternising might have been considered a strong term, if not for the way Hux's hands kept wandering where they shouldn't, much to the chagrin of his dance partner._

 _"Would you kindly keep your hands above my waist?" the boy finally snapped, face as red as the jaquira fruit punch being served at the buffet table._

 _"I apologise," Hux said solemnly, his fingers rushing back up to a more appropriate position._

 _It felt strange. None of this felt entirely real to Hux. Here he was, dancing with a beautiful young thing dressed in expensive fabrics, spinning around a lavish ballroom with rich diplomats and enough food and drink for all. It felt like a scene plucked straight from the HoloDramas he'd watched with the others, late at night when their superiors weren't watching._

 _He knew that any minute now, he was going to wake up. He was going to sit up, with drool still stuck to his face and to the pillow, with his hair pointing in every which direction, and crust pooled around his eyes. Yes, he would awake to find himself not at a sumptuous party, but back in his quarters on_ The Ravage _, with only vast corridors and computers for company._

 _"Oh, kriffing hells!"_

 _Hux jumped, only to realise that his hands had once again strayed far beyond what Organa was comfortable with. Whoops. He spared a glance, to see if anyone else had seen, only to see his peers sniggering loudly in the corner. Oh, pfassk, they were going to start calling him "Handsy Hux" at this rate._

 _…dare he say, worth it?_

 _"I apolo-"_

 _"Save it!" Ben Organa snarled, already disentangling himself from Hux's iron-like grip, pushing angrily at his chest in the process. He did not look happy. At all._

 _Hux stumbled as the boy pushed him away, barely keeping his feet. Yikes. Perhaps he should reconsider angering a known Force-using hothead, who just happened to be a Skywalker too. No matter how pretty he looked._

 _"Get bent!" Organa said hotly, before storming out of the ballroom, the crowd parting comically to let him through._

 _Even with the stares of everyone in the room on him, Hux merely stood there. He couldn't help but watch the boy go. Despite the humiliation, Hux was entirely amused by it all. So, he stood there for a moment, debating back and forth in his head, before promptly following after him._

 _After all, you didn't meet a boy like_ that _every planetary rotation._

* * *

Reeah is a blue-green planet, not very large, and entirely unimpressive, at least from space. It is a small world, currently inhabited by migrant species of aliens, including the Togrutan colony. Of course, Hux knows very well what Reeah looks like up close: large tumultuous oceans, not even broken up by its great island continents. It's beautiful, really, but Hux doesn't think so.

In fact, he doesn't want to look at Reeah at all – there are so many bad memories tied to this place, so much pain – but he finds himself drifting back to viewer port all the same.

…because deep down, he knows that for once he has returned to this godforsaken planet on his own terms. Yes, for once he isn't being dragged down planet side for negotiations, or to listen to baseless accusations, or even just to wallow in his own sadness. For once, he has returned and it is a sign of _victory_.

Hell, even Supreme Leader Snoke had been pleased with their progress, and had made a face that somewhat resembled a _smile_. The resulting expression had so distorted the Supreme Leader's face, that Hux still wasn't sure what expression it had meant to be.

Well, Hux needed an ego boost, so he was quick to just accept it as some sense of approval. There was no harm in that, right?

What Hux wasn't happy about, was the Supreme Leader's next order.

Of course, Hux was already fully prepared to go planet-side in search of Ben Organa, or whatever trace there was of him, with innumerable squadrons of troops and officers at his beck and call. At his level, he was certainly not lacking in resources. Despite his long-festering doubts, he was prepared to find the boy. Dead or alive.

Only, Snoke just _had_ to meddle.

"Gather a squadron, Captain." Hux ordered, distaste twisting his features; "Make them ready to receive Liito Ren."

Phasma nodded, "Yes, sir."

* * *

Yes. Snoke had _insisted_ that Hux bring the Knights of Ren along. Hux, surprising even himself, had argued that they weren't even certain if the boy was actually _on_ Reeah. All they really knew was that if there was some trace of him left (doubtful), they _might_ find it there. Might, maybe, possibly – all being key terms in Hux's tirade.

This was his moment of success - he did not want to share it. Least of all with the 'mystical' Fools of Ren. Luckily, Hux's encounters with the Knights of Ren had been few and far between. They were strange beings, of various races and mysterious identities, that all followed Snoke and the Way of Ren.

Whatever the hell _that_ meant.

All in all, Hux had little time for their soothsaying and strange magicks, when he was a man of work. He had a job to do and little patience for anything that could get in the way of that. Weird hand-waving and hushed whispering of dark forces was something that _did_ get in the way of that. Or it annoyed him at the very least.

So, Hux finds himself fidgeting in the worst sort of way as he awaits the arrival of the Knights. He does not have to wait long, and very soon a great prowling command shuttle docks and one single figure, flanked by several of their own stormtroopers, boards the _Finaliser_.

The figure is hooded and dressed completely in midnight-black fabrics, as if they had been swathed by the darkest reaches of the galaxy itself. They also bare a complex mask, with features so unique that Hux immediately recognises them as the strongest warrior of the Knights, Liito Ren.

As Liito Ren descends from his ship, Hux notes that he is just as dark and mysterious as the rest of his brethren.

"Liito Ren." Hux greeted, both he and Phasma bowing their heads politely; "Have you come alone? I was under the impression more Knights would be joining us?"

"General Hux. Captain Phasma. This is a momentous occasion." Liito Ren said, his voice distorting through his helmet; "Sadly, the Supreme Leader has greater tasks in mind for my brethren. They will be joining us later."

"I see. Well, let's find the boy first, and then we can celebrate." Hux said, already not enjoying the dramatics of the Knight. His patience was wearing thinner by the minute.

The fact that the Supreme Leader had only sent one Knight of Ren did not lighten his mood. If finding the boy was so important, then surely the Supreme Leader would have sent all of them? Or, at the very least, more than one?! Hux could recognise a slight against his capabilities when he saw one.

"…wait…"

Hux was thrown from his thoughts as Liito Ren suddenly stopped in the middle of the hangar.

Suddenly, the Knight flinched and began shifting on the spot. He looked to be deep in concentration, as if he was searching for something in the very air around him. An invisible force of sorts.

Hux watched on, becoming increasingly agitated and uneasy. The 'Force' was nonsense, but the Knights of Ren were powerful. Almost as powerful as Snoke himself. Their magic was not to be trifled with. Meeting with any Knight of Ren was always a hair-raising event.

"I can sense his Force energy," Liito Ren whispered, craning his neck as if trying to get closer to the boy. Ren looked so creepy that Hux thought he might start scaling the walls; "He is on Reeah somewhere… there is no doubt about that."

Despite his best intentions, and an aversion to listening to anything a Knight of Ren had to say, a sliver of hope burrowed itself deeply into Hux's chest. Perhaps Liito Ren could sense the boy? Maybe this wasn't all a lost cause, or meaningless chase? What if they actually found Ben Organa down there? Alive and well?

 _All grown up._

Hux cleared his throat awkwardly, "Good. We shall take a squadron down there and find him. With any luck, this shouldn't be too difficult."

* * *

The local Togrutan government greets them with awkwardness, clearly not thrilled with the presence of the First Order at all. One glance from Liito Ren, however, keeps them quiet. For once, Hux is almost grateful for the Knight's presence. Hopefully, Liito Ren's wrath would be threat enough to keep the Togrutans quiet, and thus stave off any unwanted New Republic attention.

The last thing Hux wanted was to give the New Republic more fuel to the rumour-fire that was Hux's supposed hand in Ben Organa's disappearance. Sure, he was well aware of his own innocence, but the rest of the galaxy was still convinced of his guilt. And that sort of pressure did not just go away.

So, here he was, roaming the gardens of the Parliamentary building – the very site where Organa had vanished all those years ago. Liito Ren was already hard at work, wandering every which way in an effort to detect Organa's presence. The troopers were working just as diligently, scouring every inch of the building, the gardens, and surrounds, under the watchful eye of Captain Phasma.

Hux let one gloved hand run alongside the hedge whimsically. He hadn't been back to Reeah in years. He hadn't been able to stomach the thought. Of course, he'd done so anyway, in an effort to finally put a stop to his recurring nightmares. But even returning to smell the salty air, and walk through the silent grounds of the Togrutan Parliament had done little to quell them.

And now, he was back yet again.

The building felt smaller, and the surrounding gardens sadder, but Hux couldn't help but picture Ben Organa walking its paths and corridors, with a small smile on his lips and a youthful spring to his step. Maybe that was why it was so hard to return.

"…General?"

Hux jumped as he was forced from his reverie. Liito Ren looked curious, something which just made Hux even more annoyed. Kriffing hell, he wasn't something to be dissected!

"What is it?" he snapped.

"I don't sense the boy anywhere in the building or in the grounds." Liito said, "…I can feel… some sort of presence here, but it is not truly the boy, just memories."

Hux's cheeks pinkened, "Yes, well, let's find the real boy and not just fanciful imaginings of him, shall we?"

"Those 'fanciful imaginings', as you so carefully put it, have their own usefulness, General." Liito Ren said with a surprising solemnity; "We know the boy's patterns, and the thoughts of those who held him dear…"

Hux winced, trying desperately to drain his mind of such thoughts. Liito Ren had no business knowing such things. None.

"…and we should be able to re-trace his steps. I propose that we head towards the cliff-side, General. The presence is stronger that way."

"Very well," Hux sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He spoke into his comm: "Captain Phasma, please order your troops to head towards the cliffs. We are resuming our operations over there."

 _"Yes, Sir."_

* * *

To Hux's annoyance, he is forced to follow Liito Ren's lead as they all head towards the cliffs. Along the cliff edge, the Togrutans have erected a neat fence to ward off wayward passers-by from the danger. Hux is just glad that the Togrutans have some sense of safety, and that the chances of injuries or fatalities to his squadron has lessened. It would be just right – for Hux to have finally found a substantial clue to Organa's whereabouts, only for the mission to end with a bunch of dead men.

…but luckily, everything seemed to be progressing well. All in all, they certainly make for a strange sight with two figures clothed in black, one in blinding chrome, and a great squadron of stark white troops all marching along the cliffs edge. It is made comical by the hooded figure practically floating and waving his hands in excitement.

Hux can't mask his embarrassment, but - for once in his life - he is grateful for Liito Ren's force prowess as soon they stumble across a neat path cut into the edge of the cliffside that seems to trickle all the way down to the small rocky beach hundreds of metres below. It's a weird path, that cuts into the cliff, and is hidden by the craggy rock face and the clinging plants trickling down like a waterfall. In fact, it is so well hidden, that Hux suspects that if Liito Ren were not with them, that they never would have discovered it at all. And that is a terrifying thought indeed.

Now, he is almost certain that Ben Organa also took this path fifteen-years ago, for whatever reason. Which Hux utterly intends to discover. Hell, he still isn't certain if they are going to find a body… or a young man. Judging by Liito Ren's excitement, however, Hux is starting to believe (and hope) that they are going to find Ben Organa very much alive.

It takes a while before they finally reach the bottom of the cliff. There is a small beach, running alongside the length of the cliff-face, and above it, flat rock. Too flat. As if it had been carved away and smoothed down by hand.

Carefully, Hux, Ren, and the squadron headed by Phasma make their way across the expanse in order to search for any trace of the boy. The beach does not look promising, nor does the water. Hell, they would need divers to search out further, a resource that Hux had, but would have to call back to the _Finalizer_ to get.

Perhaps the boy had thrown himself into the sea? Maybe he had simply waded out and never looked back? Or worse, thrown himself from the top of the cliffs… but surely, they would have found his body years ago if he had done that…

Hux's stomach turned at the thought. Oh god, he did _not_ want to find a body.

"Over here, General!"

Hux turns immediately and races over to where Liito Ren is standing at the base of the cliffs, where the flat rock connects to the towering wall of stone above them.

Only as he got closer, could Hux see what Liito Ren had discovered.

There, cut into the side of the cliff-face, was an opening. Rather like a doorway, only much more rugged. What was curious, however, was the way it had been cut into the cliff-face. It was positioned in such a way and hidden by the natural rock formations, that only once you got close could you see it. It was ingenious.

Hux had the sudden eerie feeling that he could only see it, because the cliffside was allowing him to do so.

"What is this place, Ren?" Hux asked, barely stopping his own voice from shaking. The cliffside seemed ancient and held undeniable power. The very ground beneath his feet seemed to pulse and the cliff-side seemed to ooze with it.

He couldn't deny his own fear. No matter how many times he'd told himself the Force was nonsense, and just an illusion, he would never be able to truly convince himself of such again. The air around them was so heavy, the Force so _tangible_ , that it would have been insane for him to say otherwise. Hux had never been so scared in his life.

Likewise, Liito Ren was looking at the doorway set into the cliffside, standing stock-still. As if he were being humbled just by standing next to it. He was in total awe.

"…this is a sacred place." Ren whispered, bending down to trace a hand over the slimy rocks beneath his feet; "This place was once utilised as a Jedi temple."

"I thought you hated the Jedi-"

"This is a Jedi temple of _old_ , General. Clearly built and cared for by those who didn't consider the Force so simply in terms of 'light' and 'dark'. This is a most sacred place…" Ren repeated, shaking his head reverently; "It is _very_ likely that we will find the Organa boy here."

"What makes you say that?" Hux asked curiously.

"That boy would have been drawn to this place like a moth to flame. Any force user would."

"Why did his mother not find him then? Or his uncle? They are _Skywalkers_ , just like him."

Liito Ren stopped, suddenly confused, "I-I do not know. I guess we shall find out."

Suddenly, Hux is inundated by fear. To their knowledge, this temple had been abandoned for millennia. Anything could be waiting inside those caves. Anything.

He looks to Liito Ren, and then to his troopers, before looking back at the gaping entrance to the caverns. He sets his jaw and moves forward.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **A/N: HUX YOU CREEP STOP FEELING UP BEN YIKES**

 **(BEN PLEASE STAY AT LEAST 500 LIGHT YEARS AWAY FROM HUX AT ALL TIMES)**

 **...**

 **Liito Ren is a Force Nerd and Certified President of the Ben Organa Fan Club (Hux is not Happy at All)**

 **Phasma needs a promotion for dealing with both of them.**


	9. Ghosts

**.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 9: Ghosts**

 _Hux feels overwhelmingly numb._

 _It's been nearly a week since that day, and the First Order are only just now leaving Reeah. He should be elated – to finally be away from that damned rock, and away from all those people with violence and promises of revenge in their eyes. Only he isn't. He doesn't feel anything._

 _…just nausea. He hasn't touched any food and it's only been urging from Captain Willuch that has him nibbling at a vacuum-sealed ration pack. They are tasteless, and the consistency leaves much to be desired, but it's light and that's all he can stomach right now._

 _What's worse though, are the looks from his fellow officers._

 _He can't escape their gazes now, with all of them trapped on the shuttle headed back towards the_ Ravage _. All he can do is pray for the transit to end as quickly as possible. Then he can hide his shame for a bit longer._

 _For now, he just has to put with it. Some of them, like Krate and Rees, barely spare him a glance at all. If anything, they are quieter than usual. More thoughtful, more aware. Everyone knew that the First Order could be a goddamned shark tank, but that didn't mean there weren't real friendships and relationships. But now, all of Hux's colleagues were most likely trying to process the fact that one of their number had harmed a fourteen-year old New Republic boy, for whatever reason. Politics, revenge, just because…_

 _But what had really rattled them, was that the spotlight had been put on the "Ambitious Armie" Hux. Just when Hux had begun to break through the ice and start to make friends, things had gone south._

 _Then there are some like Varrin – that goddamned bastard – who smirk at him, with knowing in their eyes. As if they hadn't expected anything less. That it was just a matter of time before Hux snapped and ruined everything. Hux wasn't surprised really, but he hated the triumph in their eyes as they watched him fall. They wanted to watch him squirm. To watch him fail._

 _Just like the useless trash he called 'father'. Oh, he was not looking forward to his reaction to all this. More than anything else, Hux hated that smug expression that his father would wear as proudly as his Imperial medals whenever Hux tripped, or fell. Whenever he fell short of perfection._

 _…then Sloane. How would she react? Would she simply drop him like a used tissue? Had he finally lived out his usefulness? Oh, god. Who would look out for him now? He knew, he knew_ so _well, that the First Order was a pit of snakes. His prospects are grim with this sort of ink-blot staining his career. How can he possibly rise through the ranks after this? How can he go forward to prove his father wrong? To prove everyone wrong?_

 _…what if the real culprit is never found? What then?_

* * *

The caverns are cold and seem to go on and on, in a never-ending labyrinth of twisting corridors and great hollowed out spaces seemingly held together by only the stalactites and stalagmites sprouting out from the ceiling and floor.

It's not an easy trek. They can hear the constant dripping of water from the ceiling to the ground, as well as the rushing of water that can be heard in the very walls themselves, giving the illusion that the entire structure could collapse at any minute, drowning anyone unlucky enough to be inside. Every step they take seems to shower them with dust and bits of rock, making the threat of a cave-in all that more real in their heads. It's terrifying.

Then there's the wailing.

God, the wailing was _awful_. All earthy and unnatural at once – like spectres roaming the halls. It makes shivers run down Hux's spine, and he can tell that the troopers are getting spooked too. Worse still, the wailing seems to only get closer and closer.

They haven't even ventured very far yet, but already Hux wants to turn back.

Just as Hux begins considering that very decision – the Supreme Leader be damned – the tunnel abruptly ends and instead suddenly opens up into a small clearing with a number of hollowed out doorways. They are clearly man-made, or rather, have been put there purposely. There are in no way a natural part of the cave-system – or at least, no such cave system that Hux had ever heard of.

The group enters the clearing, contemplating the doorways before them.

"We could split up-" Phasma said, only to be cut off quite suddenly by Liito Ren.

"No need, Captain." Liito Ren said, "If we are meant to find Ben Organa, then the temple will allow for it. Any doorway is just as good as the other. This place does not answer to any sense of logic that we as mortals possess."

Hux rolled his eyes, "That sounds ridiculous."

"It may, General, but it is true. All is as the Force wills it, after all."

"That is also ridiculous."

At that, Liito Ren merely shrugged, and did not deign to answer, much to Hux's irritation. Instead of rising to the bait, he turned back to the doorways, trying to figure out which one they should take. If Liito Ren was right, then the choice did not matter. But Hux could not accept such a thing so easily. Sure, the Force was strange – he had seen it in Liito Ren's ability to guide them here in the first place – but Hux still did not trust it. This place had to obey some set of rules.

 _"Gahhh!"_ someone screamed loudly.

Hux swivelled about, hand already on his blaster, only to see one of the stormtroopers jumping backwards from one of the doorways.

"TK-421, what are you screaming at?" Hux barked, shoving aside the other troopers to get a closer look at what had scared the man so much.

There, at the doorway, was a small creature about knee-height. It walked on all-fours, with unnaturally long fore-legs covered in droopy sheets of skin. Its eyes were large, almost as big as dinner-plates, and shockingly black, with constellations in its eyes. Hux had never seen such a creature before, and he was at a loss as to what to do.

What if it attacked them? What if there were more? He knew that killing some of the creatures might scare the rest off, or it might incite the creatures to all attack at once. Of course, they were well enough equipped to take out a few of the creatures, but if they all swarmed, then it would be a bloodbath. Who knew how many more creatures might appear then?

"Everyone back up," Phasma ordered, stepping in front of the group and guiding them away from the doorway; "We don't know what that thing is."

The creature continues to shuffle forwards and out of the doorway, sniffing at the group and making strange snuffling noises in the back of its throat.

To Hux's horror, there comes a series of resounding wails, the ghostly wails from earlier, and even more creatures begin to emerge from the doorway. They progress into the clearing slowly, almost tentatively as they stare at the intruders. They look… _curious_.

One creature steps forward and makes a move to sniff the nearest stormtrooper. The stormtrooper yelps and jumps backward, firing his gun in his panic. When the smoke clears, the creature is miraculously unharmed but has shrunk backwards, cowering.

Suddenly, there's the shuffling of padded feet and suddenly the entire group is surrounded by all of the creatures.

"Stop! Stop!" Liito Ren yelled, pulling the stormtrooper to his feet, and then turning to push back the others away from the creatures.

The creatures watch them, teetering in place, but not moving any closer. Waiting.

"Don't hurt them! They will not hurt you, if you don't give them reason." Liito Ren warned; "This is their place, not ours. We are merely guests and they are curious. That is all."

Hux rolled his eyes, but nonetheless turned to the rest of the group; "You heard Lord Ren. No one is to disturb the creatures. In fact, don't touch _anything_ at all."

"Watch your steps, troopers," Phasma reiterated, staring pointedly at each and every one of her troops.

* * *

They continue their trek, with a few of the creatures trailing behind them almost curiously, though one particularly bolshy one stretches out its arms – no, its wings – and flies to the front, keeping up a steady pace in front of Liito Ren and Hux. It seems to be determined to lead them through the labyrinth, and to keep an eye on them. Rather like an overtly friendly guard-dog.

Somehow, with the creatures close by, the wailing did not sound all that bad. Almost as if being able to ascribe a mental image of the creatures to the sound had helped. Which was probably the case.

The considerably more relaxed atmosphere does not last long however.

Oh no, for that's when the _whispering_ starts.

 _Armitage, you useless boy_.

Hux stopped in his tracks at the sound of his father's voice. He turned about wildly, only to see the rest of the group staring back at him oddly. So they hadn't heard anything then. Shaken, he turns back forwards and continues walking.

 _Bastard of a son…_

Hux snarled, turning back again. Still, nothing. Only the rest of the group, still looking thoroughly confused. Of course, he was just hearing things then. There was no way his father was here. No, his father was wasting away in some First Order facility, doomed to fade into obscurity. Just as Hux had designed it.

There was no way his father had come out here… none.

 _You always were a disappointment,_ the voice continued _, pathetically attempting to stand on the shoulders of giants. But you can't, can you? You're useless._

"Shut up, you miserable bastard! Shut up!" Hux roared, not caring who heard him now. His father must be here then! That voice sounded too real. Forget the boy, he needed to kill his father. Now.

With that, Hux angrily pushed past Liito Ren and the creature too, and ran down the tunnel. The floor seemed to shift strangely beneath his feet, and distantly he could hear the confused yelling of the group, but he didn't care anymore. Forget this. His father needed to be dealt with, once and for all. He couldn't be allowed to live! Not anymore!

 _Armitage, I expected better._

A terrifying coldness seeped through Hux's bones and he came to a dead-stop. No way. Not her too.

 _I guess you're more like your father than I imagined. How disappointing…_

How could his father be here, and Rae Sloane too? It was impossible! Liito Ren had barely managed to find this temple – there was no way his useless father and Sloane had found it too! It just couldn't be true!

 _What did you do to that boy, Armitage?!_

Captain – no, Lieutenant Willuch. But how? There was no way he was here too! It just was not possible! All these people could not be here, it didn't make any sense. None.

 _What have you done with my son?!_

General Leia Organa too? No. It couldn't be. If she was here…

A wave of nausea shot through him and Hux kept running, ignoring the painful burning in his legs in an effort to outrun the awful, awful voices. The voices seemed to chase after him, painting a searing path of pure agony through every inch of his body. Every part of him ached as he forced himself to keep running. Even with all the military training, nothing could have prepared Hux for running from his own very tangible nightmares.

 _Hux._

No, it couldn't be. Absolutely not.

 _Hux, why didn't you look for me? Why did you leave me here?_

Hux stops in his tracks, very nearly tripping over his own feet. He couldn't run from Ben Organa. Not ever.

Of all the spectres chasing him, hearing Ben Organa calling for him was perhaps the worst of all. The boy sounded pained, as if he were being tortured. Had the boy been dragged down here, against his will by some unknown force?

Hux couldn't bare it. He'd heard that voice nearly every night for the last fifteen years, but even that couldn't prepare him for hearing it now in this great cold cavern. He had abandoned him. He had left the boy here – to starve, to waste away, to _die._ Oh, god, what had he done? How could he have let such a bright flame in this lonely cold universe be snuffed out?

Breathing heavily, Hux collapses against the tunnel wall.

 _Hux?_

There he was.

 _Hux, please. Help me!_

Hux wanted to. He wanted to _so_ badly.

 _They're hurting me, Hux! They're hurting me!_

The voice was screaming now, and Hux just knew the boy was being tortured. He'd heard those screams before – he'd seen men, women, and children all hurt, had hurt them himself – and the sound was unmistakable. That was the scream of someone in indescribable pain. He'd learnt to drown out the sounds over the years, only now, all that work was undone as Hux listened to the screams wracking through Ben Organa.

Oh, god, no. Make it stop.

He had to make it stop.

Hux starts running in the other direction, heading towards that voice, towards Ben Organa. He had to do something. He had to stop the screaming.

The cold is overwhelming now, running through his veins and slowing the pace of his body, even as he fights on to keep running. He runs so fast, however, that he fails to see the slab of stone in front of him which he promptly runs straight into, smacking his head hard.

It happens all so quickly, that as Hux's world turns black, he's not even aware that's he been knocked out.

.

 **.**

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 **A/N:**

 **I had to split this chapter in two it got so biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig. ahhhhhhhhhh.**

 **...which means Hux gets to suffer for a bit longer. whoops. gotta love the huxsufferingTM.**

 **The creatures are guarding the temple. They are like giant bats and are pretty harmless, but will swarm and push out intruders if they have to. They have a sort of symbiotic relationship with the temple – they protect the temple, and the temple gives them a safe home.**

 **Liito Ren, much like Mace Windu before him, is an avid animal right's activist (have you guys seen The Clone Wars Zillo beast eps? FUCKING AMAZING. Also, Mace Windu is just. Awesome.)**


	10. The Son of the Force

**AN: Will the Real Ben Organa please stand up?**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 10: The Son of the Force**

 _Hux sat up, throat sore from screaming in his sleep._

 _It had been a year._

 _An entire goddamn_ year _, and yet there was still no respite. How was it that he was still waking up at god-awful hours of the morning, covered in a cold sweat, with images of a dead boy swimming in front of his eyes? When would this end?_

 _It had gotten to that point where no one wanted to room with him anymore, or even next-door to him. His yelling was too loud, his waking hours too erratic._

 _Hux rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up, clawing for his data-pad on his bedside table._

 _Work was the only way to distract himself. After his nightmares, he would always work on his reports, or his blueprints. Anything to drown out those awful images of Ben Organa's mangled body. God, why him? Why did he have to dance with him at that stupid party? Why did he have to get involved?_

 _This time, however, Hux didn't open his unfinished reports, or his spreadsheets. Instead, he typed in the name of the boy haunting his very steps._

Ben Organa.

 _Not surprisingly, thousands of results showed up. Many were tabloid pieces decrying Senator Organa, or her husband, or photos of the Organa-Solos at parties, and conventions. That sort of thing. However, the more recent entries were all memorial-sites, plastered with pictures of a smiling boy with black hair and devastatingly beautiful eyes._

 _Hux snarled and threw the data-pad across the room._

* * *

 _"-eral!"_

Hux's head smarts quite unlike anything he's experienced before. He can hear the deafening beating of his heart wracking his body, and the dampness of soil up his nose. It's all so foreign. More than ever he just wants to curl up on his bed on the _Finalizer_ , far, far away from any mysterious planets or aliens, or ghosts.

 _Ghosts._

"General!"

Like a fog lifting, his mind suddenly clears, and he finds himself in a great cavern. There are no ghosts chasing him, and no images of dead boys calling out to him for help.

There are deep pools of water either side, and the walls seem to stretch up forever to meet the craggy ceiling. There are great slabs of stone, clearly man-made or otherwise, set into the ground. They are ruins now, but Hux can tell that they used to belong to a magnificent structure – perhaps a hall, or a sanctum of sorts. The writing scrawled on the stone is incomprehensible, at least from a distance, but Hux has the sneaking suspicion that he would not be understand it or be able to match it to any existing language anyway.

Stranger still, Hux knows that they have reached the heart of the temple.

He looks around, taking in his surroundings. To his relief, the others have found their way here too, most of them standing about and looking confused. Liito Ren, on the other hand, is already exploring the great hall.

"General, are you alright?"

It's Phasma, sounding overtly concerned from under the guise of her vocoder.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." Hux lied, waving her off. Had she seen the nightmares too?

"The troops are inconsolable." Phasma continued, still not backing down; "…I- _they_ saw things, in those tunnels."

"Well, we'll just have to send the lot of them to reconditioning once we find our way out of this godforsaken shithole." Hux said, already dreading the amount of paper-work involved. Perhaps he could pass it off on Phasma? They were her troops after all…

But judging from the tremor in her voice it looked like _she_ might need a few hours in reconditioning too. _Kriffing hells._

"I'm sure this is the heart of the temple. If Organa isn't here, then we all leave, alright?" Hux said firmly.

Phasma nodded, seemingly relieved at the thought. Of course, Hux couldn't blame her. This place was a hell hole.

The group, albeit shaken, quickly spreads out across the expanse of the cavern. It's absolutely huge, stretching across more hundreds of metres. Phasma heads off to the far right, and Liito Ren to the left, leaving Hux directly in the middle with troopers on either side. The huddling effect seems to calm the troopers, much to Hux's relief. Scared troopers could make ugly situations fatal. Of course, reconditioning was designed to calm the troopers, but it wasn't designed to withstand creepy Force temples. Or whatever the hell had happened back in the tunnels.

As Hux trudges forward, water splashing up his boots and drenching his knees, he realises that the cavern is even larger than he thought – monstrous, even.

The ruins tower over them, gnarled and twisted like dead trees, still deeply rooted into soil. It gives off an eerie, sort of lonely feeling. As if the place had been abandoned for a very long time. Still, Hux can't help but cheer at the sight of the subterranean plants peaking upwards through the cracks in the stones.

Once they pass under the first great ruin, however, Hux freezes.

There, in the centre of the cavern, is a great crystal pillar that's made from all the colours of the ocean: great inky blacks, swirling greens, devastating hues of blues, and even pearl. It manages to look both faded, and shine brightly at the same time. Every time Hux's eyes sweep across it, it seems to change its shape and its colour. It's _beautiful_.

As he steps closer, his feet slipping across the grimy stones, he notices a dark mass in the centre of the pillar. Unlike the rest of the crystal, it doesn't change shape but stays the same. It almost looks like someone is trapped in there.

Someone _is_ trapped in there.

"Over here, Ren, Captain!" Hux yelled, his voice echoing loudly off the walls.

There's a great commotion – plenty of splashing and slipping – as the rest of the group races over to Hux. One by one, they freeze at the sight of the towering crystal pillar. As if under a spell.

Even beneath her helmet, Phasma looked taken aback, " _Is that…?_ "

"Organa!" Liito Ren said triumphantly; "His force energy is practically tangible!"

"Yes, but how the hell do we get him out?" Hux snapped, trying and failing to disguise the desperation in his voice.

The boy was trapped in there. They had to get him out – oh god, what if he couldn't _breathe?_ Oh no, no, no, where the hell was the medic?

He doesn't realise he's yelled the last bit until the twin-medic troopers race over to Hux, eager to please.

" _Just_ \- aghhh, all of you, come with me." Hux said, struggling with his words; "We need to get him out!"

To Hux's relief, nobody questions him and the entire group quickly heads over the pillar.

Up close, the pillar is near blinding. The light reflecting off the surface seems to intensify with every step closer, and it almost hurts to look at it. In the corner of his vison, the colours seem to swim violently in a rainbow vortex. It's – it's painful, and Hux stops, what must be a mere few feet away. He snarls, an awful pained sound from low in his throat, as he forces his feet to move closer. But no matter how much he wants to, his feet refuse to move even an inch, as if they had been forcibly glued to the slimy rock face.

Oh god, he wants so badly to move closer, to smash the twisted structure open, to get Ben Organa _out_. But he can't.

He tears his eyes away from the pillar, only to see Phasma and the rest of the troopers in a similar predicament. They grunt and swear in place, unable to move any closer.

To Hux's annoyance, Liito Ren has no such qualms. With no difficulty at all, he simply wades forward, until the very front of his helmet is practically kissing the face of the crystal.

With one gloved hand, Liito Ren slowly traces a path over the crystal surface.

"It's definitely Ben Organa, in there," Liito Ren said, head tilted as if in deep concentration; "Oh, he's – he's alive. Oh, oh my."

Hux's heart stuttered, a single weak moment. The boy was alive. He was _alive_.

Swearing, Hux pushed forward, ignoring the immediate pain flaring through his entire body. He collapses to the ground, his skin grazing against the harsh surface. He needs to get closer. How can he trust Liito Ren's words at face value? No, he needs to see the boy for himself!

To his credit, he manages to crawl forward at least a few inches before he is forced to stop. The pain is excruciating, but it is the crystal itself that has him frozen to the floor.

It's _glowing_.

Liito Ren draws his hand back quickly and steps away from the crystal, herding the other back too. Reluctantly, Hux clambers to his feet and stands back too.

The crystal seems to pulse as it emanates a blinding light – like a living heart. It becomes steadily brighter, until not even Hux can bear to keep on watching. It's just too painful.

His hands fly up to protect his eyes, and he grits his teeth, annoyed that he can't go on looking at the crystal. Slowly, slowly, the light of the crystal dulls and Hux lowers his hands.

There's a great gaping hole in the crystal, jagged and uneven.

Even stranger is the young man huddled at the base of the tall pillar, slightly curled in on himself. His body language is off – he seems surprised, and above all, apprehensive. Then he stands.

Hux's breath catches in his throat.

Ben Organa is quite tall, almost as tall as Captain Phasma, and maybe a little taller than Hux himself. It's difficult to tell at such close range.

To Hux's horror, Organa is still as breathtakingly beautiful as he was fifteen-years ago. His hair frames his face in thick black waves, and his stride is just as confident and graceful as ever. Clearly, he's grown into his long-limbs and asymmetrical features well. Unable to help himself, Hux's eyes linger over every inch of this new Ben Organa, particularly his gorgeous plush mouth. _Oh, no_.

He forces himself to look away, only to be drawn back in by Organa's eyes. They are just as bright as they were when Hux first met him, like still pools of water with hidden depths. That's when Hux feels a slow stirring in his gut. It's like he's nineteen-years old all over again, only with much more ambition and hope for the future than ever before. It's a painful sensation. Almost like his guts are being squeezed and his heart is being crushed in his chest.

Suddenly, he realises that he has no idea how to approach the young man. In fact, he feels a wave of resentment, as if all these years gone by – _wasted_ \- had been Organa's fault… then there's overwhelming sadness too. Hux wants to embrace him, to just hold him close and not let go. Not again.

…and what of the Supreme Leader's plans? Hux's plans?

Even in this state, it did not take much imagination for Hux to picture Ben Organa as the dark, force-wielding, weapon of mass destruction he had the potential to be. It was in his blood, afterall. Yes, Hux could imagine the boy – no, young man – prostrated at his feet, willing to serve the First Order, to finally enable them all to rise from the ashes of the Empire. To take the galaxy, planet by planet, system by system.

 _Such raw power._

…and Hux can feel it too. The Force, something that has eluded him all his life, is suddenly _tangible_ , thrumming through his blood, pounding beneath his feet and through the rock below. It's everywhere – rushing through the walls, through them all, and they are all powerless to it. It's simultaneously empowering and humbling.

Hux suddenly wants to turn, to check on the others, on Phasma, the troopers, hell, even Liito Ren. Surely, they are all feeling this too? Are they alright? Are they just as awed as Hux is? Or is he just particularly weak to such supernatural phenomena?

Hux feels small, and he does not like it. So, he goes to turn, only to find he can't. How can he tear his eyes away from Ben Organa?

From perfection?

Suddenly, Ben is striding towards him and Hux's heart stops. Oh god, he wasn't prepared for this. Not at all. What would he say? Every single scenario he'd been practicing – all those hours _wasted_ \- suddenly faded from his thoughts and his tongue felt like lead in his mouth. _Fuck._

Hux cleared his throat, steeling himself, and threw out his hand in a typical greeting that he hoped looked both formal and warm. Only he needn't have bothered.

Skirts fluttering in the icy wind rushing through the cave, Ben Organa walks right on past him, not even blinking in his direction. As if Hux wasn't even there.

Hux spun around, confused and offended on all fronts, as Ben Organa instead headed towards the entrance of the cavern where Liito Ren was.

What on earth? What had just happened? Organa had ignored him, _hell_ , hadn't even seemed to notice him at all! Instead he'd looked right past him, as if Hux was just another slimy rock in this godforsaken hellhole.

Instead, Ben Organa seemed very much interested in the masked Knight of Ren standing stock-still at the entrance to the cavern. It looked almost eerie, how Liito Ren was transfixed to the spot, unable to tear himself away, much like Hux had been only a second before.

If they had been in any other situation, Hux would have laughed at the way Liito Ren was standing so awkwardly with his back almost ramrod straight. Instead, he remained quiet, awed by Organa's presence, and utterly infuriated at being so easily brushed off. His ego had never been so bruised, as it had been in this moment. It was not a pleasant experience.

Meanwhile, Liito Ren had removed his helmet, revealing the horned-dome of a Zabrak, and a look of awe upon his face.

"…you are the Force." He whispered reverently.

Organa considered him carefully, "…I merely serve the Force."

A shiver runs down Hux's spine. Organa's voice is deep, and his speech is oddly stilted, as if it pained him to speak too much. Despite the years apart, his manner has not changed.

Liito Ren immediately prostrated at his feet, "I will follow you to the farthest edges of the galaxy."

"Don't you know my purpose?" Organa asked, his words all but cryptic to Hux.

Liito Ren looked up, something like determination in his gaze, "I will help you achieve it, and more."

Organa crouched down beside him, "I would be glad for the company – and to help you find your own purpose too."

Hux looked on, something like jealousy already burning low and hot in his stomach. _Even after all this time_. It was pathetic really. As if Ben Organa would still be interested in him, or anything he believed in.

Still, he had a mission, so he had to talk to the young-man. It didn't matter that Organa had brushed past him so easily, had ignored his very existence – Hux still had to obey the Supreme Leader. So that is what he would do.

"Ben Organa." Hux called, managing to keep the edge from his voice.

The young-man, still standing closely beside Liito Ren, turned to face Hux. He looked blank – only mild curiosity upon his features. As if Hux were just like any other useless looking Stormtrooper or petty officer.

"Who are you?" Organa asked, brow knotted in confusion. He's softly spoken, but has a deep voice. It's a strange and enticing combination.

"A friend." Hux said, clearing his throat awkwardly. _Oh god_. Ben Organa still doesn't recognise him.

"I don't have many of those," Organa frowned.

"No, I can't imagine you would, living down here."

 _Goddamn it_ , Hux thought, _you're already acting like a total asshole to him._ Why couldn't he control his goddamned temper?! Especially at a time like this!

"You are with the First Order," Organa said, ignoring Hux's cold manner.

It is a question disguised as a statement, something that Hux might not have caught if he wasn't so used to Organa's strange manner of speaking.

"We were sent here to retrieve you." He nodded, fighting down the urge to smooth down his hair or rearrange his great-coat any further; "Your disappearance has long worried the galaxy."

"Am I to be your prisoner then?"

"No, you are to be my guest." Hux said quickly, hoping that he appeared as earnest as the words themselves; "I only ask that you indulge our Supreme Leader with an audience, before you take your leave. After all, it was his wisdom that guided us to you, and I can tell you that he is most anxious to meet with you."

It _was_ the truth – only Hux wasn't sure if the Supreme Leader would be content with just one audience. Especially considering the amount of resources Hux, and by proxy the Supreme Leader, had poured into finding the boy in the first place. So, whilst Hux was being very much truthful in that he would let the young man leave at his leisure, he was certain that the Supreme Leader would not let him escape so easily.

Organa looked thoughtful for a moment, but finally nodded, "You are being truthful, so I will accept your terms."

An eerie sort of feeling fell over Hux. That had been easy – almost _too_ easy. He had almost expected an argument, or maybe more questions, but Organa seemed content to just leave with them. Hell, they didn't know each other, or rather, Organa did not know him, but he didn't seem to have any qualms about trusting Hux.

Not to mention that this cave certainly didn't appear special, and if Hux had been in the same situation, he would have jumped at the first chance of a free ride off of this rock, but Organa didn't seem all that eager to leave or stay, as if the end-result wasn't all that important. In fact, he was just all-round impossible to read. It was strange.

But if Ben Organa was willing to join them, then Hux was not going to argue. The Supreme Leader would not be happy if he were to come back empty-handed, after all. Angering the Supreme Leader was not a smart move, and Hux was not eager to experience the backlash.

* * *

The trek out of the caverns seems so much shorter than before. What had seemed to be hundreds and hundreds of metres, now seemed like a mere quarter of the distance.

When they pass the three doorways, the creatures are all waiting. But Hux is not frightened of them, no. He is much warier of the temple itself and the ghosts. What if they returned…? Oh, he wasn't sure if he could survive such an ordeal ever again.

Still, he steels himself.

Here, grounded in the present, a much slimier feeling has been plaguing his thoughts…

Suddenly, the group stopped as Ben Organa paused mid-stride to look at the creatures. He seemed… _surprised_ , somehow. Seeing the creatures, relatively still and swaying, Organa turned to Liito Ren with a smile on his lips.

"You are wise, then."

Liito Ren smiled too, "I have a strong connection to others through the force – animals most of all."

Hux rolled his eyes, barely holding back a sneer. _How sickening_. Would Liito Ren wait until they exited the temple before getting down on one knee and proposing marriage? Or would he just put them all out of their misery and do it now?

To his dismay, no-one else seemed to be annoyed at their incessant fraternising, and instead seemed patient to wait. But not Hux. Oh, no. This would not stand.

"Let's hurry this up," he snapped, pushing his way to the front of the group and marching onwards.

* * *

There are too many thoughts steaming in his head, that Hux can't think straight. Ben Organa was here. Ben Organa hadn't seen him at all. Ben Organa had been drawn like a fly to honey, instead to Liito Ren. Of all people, Liito goddamned Ren.

But he was alive.

What would the Supreme Leader do? What was to happen to them? What -?

Hux shook his head, willing the thoughts away. Enough of that. He didn't have time for such useless frivolities. He was a general of the First Order. He had responsibilities, the most important being securing Ben Organa for the Supreme Leader. That was it. Nothing more.

But when he looks back, only to see Ben Organa still trudging along through the sandy floor of the tunnel, skirts hoisted up around his knees, Hux's gaze softens.

"Organa," Hux called, finding his bravery.

The man stopped, looking towards Hux. There was no strong emotion there, only polite indifference. Hux tried to ignore how much that hurt.

"It's quite cold out," Hux continued, shirking off his great coat and placing it over Organa's shoulders instead, his fingers shaking. "Please keep this on, at least until we get to the shuttle."

Firstly, Organa looked surprised, and then a gloriously soft smile spread across his face, the sort of smile that Hux could have waxed poetry about if he were feeling particularly lightheaded. Or if he were drunk. Needless to say, it was the sort of expression that had rendered Hux dumb and the sort that he would picture aggressively in his head for at least a week.

"Thank you for your kindness, General."

As they headed out of the caverns and stepped into the light of the sun, Hux couldn't help but stare at the young man, Ben Organa, as all the light of the world seemed to shine on him, finally bringing him out of the darkness.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **AN:**

 **Hux: "Oh no, he's hot."**

 **Liito Ren: "Oh no, he's hot."**

 **Phasma: "…uhhh, I guess he's good-looking, maybe? I don't know?"**

 **.**

 **Also wow hux angst. Hux playing 'doubt' by 21p on repeat loudly on the finalizer comm system.**


	11. Ben Organa

**A/N: dedicated to kleineschwarzemoewe! also thank you to everyone for reviewing/favourites/etc.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 3: Ben Organa**

 _"Your thoughts are vile," Ben Organa said, frowning in disgust just as Hux led him into another turn._

 _Hux blinked in surprise. He had forgotten that the boy could read minds._

 _"If I'm so vile, why would you ever want to dance with me?" Hux asked sharply, already spinning the boy into another turn._

 _Then, he stopped suddenly, before dragging Organa closer. The boy did not look pleased at all, his lip curled and face taut with indignation. Hux leaned in and pressed a finger to Organa's lips, to silence him. To his delight, his mouth was soft and the boy hadn't moved away from the touch at all._

 _Hux smirked at him, "…ah ah ah. Don't answer. I'm going to try_ my _hand at mind-reading. Now let me guess… you wanted to dance with me to piss someone else off…"_

 _Hux looked away from the boy, and let his gaze sweep the room instead. There were quite a few New Republic representatives, and probably a few Resistance members hidden in-between. None looked so mad at their union though, then Senator Organa herself. Her arms were folded tightly, and her face was lined with barely contained fury. Hux couldn't blame her._

 _"…of course, your mother." Hux breathed, feeling somewhat triumphant._

 _"Well, I'm glad you're resigned to your fate." Organa said quietly, as they began to dance again._

 _"My fate?"_

 _"Yes, you're merely an outlet for teenage rebellion." Organa said airily, "…and my mother may just have you killed."_

* * *

It had only been a few hours since they had found Ben Organa, and Hux was still reeling. They had found him. They had solved a fifteen-year old cold case. Ben Organa was very much alive. He was _alive_. He was _right there_ , just sitting idly across from Hux on the shuttle. Seemingly without a care in the world. As if he hadn't been sitting alone in a cave for over a goddamned decade.

…and he was entirely ignoring Hux.

Instead, Organa had been quietly whispering with Liito Ren and even a few rapt Stormtroopers in the furthest corner of the shuttle. It was eerie to watch - he looked almost like a preacher issuing commandments to his followers. It didn't help that they all looked close to kissing to his feet.

It was driving Hux up the wall. Envy was not an unfamiliar sensation, but it was certainly an unpleasant one. He did not even know Organa, and Organa certainly didn't know him, but he already found himself acting grossly possessive. He'd spent a lot of time tracking him down, and now Organa had eyes for everyone except Hux. It was maddening, and entirely illogical. He shouldn't be feeling this way – hell, he shouldn't care at all.

They'd met just the once, and danced for a few hours, and talked. That was it.

Then why could he still see the lights shining from the boy's eyes, and the way his robes glimmered and frothed with each step? Why could he still so clearly remember the small smiles, as they found common ground together?

And why was the mere sight of Organa, with Hux's great-coat still thrown over his shoulders, and his fingers clasping it tightly to him like a blanket, being immediately burnt into his brain like a fiery brand?

 _Oh no_. _Kriffing hell_.

He was a _general_ , goddamnit. He should know better. He lived for the First Order, for his dream, for the dreams of his betters, come and gone in the ashes of the Empire. There was certainly no time to waste thinking about pretty young things with bright eyes. None.

Quite unwillingly, he's dragged out of his reverie by soft laughter.

When he looks up, he finds Liito Ren laughing and clapping Ben Organa on the back, as if the two had known each other for years. Most notably, Liito Ren still hadn't put his helmet back on. As if to appear friendlier to Organa, or to bewitch him with his strong jaw-line. More surprisingly, Organa seemed not to mind the familiarity, and was even smiling. _Smiling_.

An ugly shot of fury races through Hux's blood, and his fingers twitch on the butt of his gun. The dark thoughts keep coming, and he debates whether the Supreme Leader would care if one of his Knights of Ren were to go 'missing'. He had many others (What was it? Six? Seven?), so surely one lost Knight wouldn't be a big deal, right?

…but then what of the shuttle full of witnesses? It would be a pity to kill so many stormtroopers, but then again, he could very easily send the lot of them to reconditioning. Only, he couldn't really send Captain Phasma or Ben Organa to reconditioning. Not easily, at least.

No, Hux would just have to restrain himself for now.

Which should be easy enough – being a general of The First Order was nothing but restraining.

…and who cared if Liito Ren and Ben Organa were clearly so enamoured with each other? Why should Hux give a damn?

Maybe, just maybe, all his brooding, all his nights wasted pondering over a dead boy had been just that. Wasted. Perhaps, Ben Organa had just put up with him for a night, counting down the seconds until Hux finally left him alone, just waiting for the annoying First Order officer to finally leave?

Fine. _Fine_. Hux could deal with that.

It was no matter. All that mattered now was delivering Organa to the Supreme Leader as quickly as possible, so that Hux could finally return to working on the Starkiller. In fact, he couldn't wait to wipe his hands of this entire stupid affair. He had better, more important things to do.

Or at least he thought he did, until it happened:

Ben Organa laughed; a stifled, awkward sound that lit up all his features like the rare beauty of the sun lighting up Arkanis Academy. It was entirely distracting, and Hux suddenly felt unbearably jealous that everyone onboard the shuttle could see the boy laughing too.

"Troopers, why have you removed your helmets?" Hux barked.

Sheepishly, the troopers put their helmets back on, with one putting it on backwards in his haste to obey his general. To his credit, Hux managed to keep a straight face. Kriffing hells, why did he have to be surrounded by idiots?

Needless to say, this was going to be a long ride.

* * *

As soon as they dock on board _The Finalizer_ , Hux has a pair of stormtroopers escort Ben Organa directly to the medical bay. He wasn't taking any chances. One, they needed to determine the young man's current medical condition. And two, Organa needed fifteen-years' worth of vaccinations to make up for. Of course, medicine had improved over the years (as it was wont to do), but so had the viruses plaguing the galaxy.

The last thing Hux needed, on the eve of his triumph, was to deliver a starved, half-dead, bean-stalk of a boy to the Supreme Leader. That would not go down well, not at all. Ben Organa was now the Supreme Leader's prize, and needed to be treated as such.

Hux stepped forward, tracing a hand down the glass surface of the tank almost reverently. This was it. Just a thin sheet of glass between him and Organa.

From inside the bacta tank, Ben Organa looks impossibly small. Despite his stature, his frame is unhealthily thin, and his face, hollow. He looks vulnerable.

So, this was the powerful force-user the Supreme Leader wanted so badly? A half-starved waif of a man with soulful eyes? Surely, their enemies would laugh them down if they ever introduced such a man into their ranks.

No, this Ben Organa looked more like the boy in Hux's dreams than anything like what the Supreme Leader had promised. There was no way this young man could lead them into decisive warfare. Not yet, at least. Hux had seen strange things over the past few days, and perhaps the Supreme Leader turning Ben Organa into a dark roiling force of nature was possible.

Suddenly, a polite cough sounds and Hux swivels around to see his Chief Medical Officer Kree'ene. He steps back from the tank almost instantly, pretending that he hadn't been staring at Ben Organa's naked form for a good minute.

 _Oh, kriffing hells._

"What news, doctor?" Hux asked, willing the flush in his cheeks to fade.

"Well, he's been suffering from malnutrition for quite some time now. He clearly hasn't had access to all the food and water he needs, but apart from that he seems to be in a relatively stable condition. With the right diet and medication, he should be healthier than ever,"

Hux nodded silently, eyes still lingering on the young-man in the tank. This was real, right? Ben Organa was in fact, right over there, mere metres away? All those nights of lost sleep, and the boy was right there? Within reach?

It was difficult to comprehend.

"…of course, I would like to keep him here for a day at the very least,"

"Naturally," Hux replied, still focused on the way Organa's hair seemed to bob around his head like a black halo.

Fuck, he was staring again. How pathetic.

"…and I'd like to monitor his progress over the next few weeks, just to make sure he's eating correctly, and he reacts well to his medication. It's difficult to ascertain just how to treat him without any pre-existing medical records on hand."

"Very well," Hux said, "I shall get a hold of his medical records for you – they shouldn't be too difficult to track down."

Kree'ene nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Good. And once you've got them, do whatever it takes to get him up to strength - I don't care how expensive or extravagant."

With a final long look at Ben Organa's unconscious form, Hux turned on his heel and left the med-bay. It was safe to say, he had a lot of work to do.

* * *

Half a galaxy away, Leia Organa woke with a start.

There it was again.

That strange, but familiar sensation in the back of her mind. She knew it so well… but what was it?! Over the past few hours it seemed to come and go, just barely rising to the surface of her mind, but undoubtedly there – and always disappearing just when she seemed to think she'd figured it out. Kriffing hell, she knew what it was but she just couldn't quite pin it down!

What would Luke do?

 _Ah._

Taking a deep breath, Leia closed her eyes. She reached out, mind cloying past the walls of her room, passing through the labyrinthine hallways of the Resistance base, ignoring her soldiers and friends, and instead kept going. Further and further.

Out past D'Qar, out of the Ileenium system, onwards and outwards. Further and further.

The sensation seemed to intensify with each passing second – it felt like a beating heart, cradled impossibly close to her own. Strong blood rushing through familiar veins. A headstrong mind, stubborn and quick-thinking. Then, a sadness – impossibly deep, and cutting deeper than any knife. It hurt. Why did it hurt so much?

Leia frowned, beginning to feel the sensation slipping away, becoming smaller.

 _No!_ She couldn't give up now.

She pushed onwards, forcing herself to go further, dimly aware of tears dripping down her cheeks, her body responding to a sadness that wasn't hers (But it was, somehow, very much still her own). But the sensation continued to fade, as if it were losing consciousness, or being forced into slumber. Slowly, it dwindled away into nothing and Leia was met with emptiness once again.

She snarled and the light overhead flickered dangerously.

 _"General,"_

Leia shook her head of troubling thoughts and directed her attention to the comm.

It was Lietuenant Kaydel Ko Connix – a bright young woman, who liked to fashion her hair in twin buns. Of course, Leia had never pointed out how embarrassing, and flattering that was. Especially not since almost all the young women, and some of the men too, had adopted the style. Who was she to rain on their parade?

"Yes?"

 _"I'm sorry to disturb you, but you said to let you know immediately if anything happened-"_

In an instant, all the air in Leia's lungs seemed to escape her and she found herself gasping for breath. Did it have something to do with that strange feeling plaguing her mind?

"What? What is it?"

 _"We've just gotten word – the First Order has issued a bounty on your son and any information about him."_

The First Order.

Oh, how the mere mention of them seemed to fill her with dread. But this was more than politics, more than freedom, more than the good fight that Leia had fought all her life. This was personal.

It had shamed her, to discover in the wake of her son's disappearance, just how much of an impact that shadowy organisation had had on him. Or of their mysterious leader – of Snoke. How could she have missed it? The way her son had shied further and further away from her, and instead coiled further into himself. How he had cowered in the face of Luke's teachings, had seemed apprehensive of Han, and had even seemed to hate _her_ , in the end.

Why couldn't she see his suffering? Why couldn't she have stopped it? She hated it – this powerlessness, the inability to help. It made the bile rise in her throat, and her temper flare just thinking about it. First, it had been Vader – her own father – torturing her, then Tarkin, ruthlessly murdering everyone she'd ever known and loved. Then Bespin, watching as Han was stolen, and all the battles that had followed over the years. Over and over again, she was forced to watch everyone around her wither and die, whilst she was left to pick up the pieces.

It wasn't fair.

And now the First Order was back, intent on finding anything about her son. A final insult.

As if he were still alive. As if he could be found.

No, surely not. It couldn't be.

It just wasn't possible. Not after all this time.

Could it?

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **A/N:**

 **Hux: 'This is Fine' jpeg.**

 **Leia: 'This is Fine' jpeg.**

 **Liito Ren: 'RISE' jpeg.**

 **Ben: 'Mad World' playing at full volume over The Finalizer comm system.**


	12. Gamble

**Chapter 12: Gamble**

 _"C'mon, Benny-boy! You can do better than that!" Okev crowed, his_ lekku _dancing mirthfully._

 _Ben huffed, rolling his eyes as he drew back into a starting position. Again._

 _Sparring with Okev, who was nearly five-years his senior, was always a struggle. Ben was smaller, and just a bit faster, but Okev was just so tall and had all the worldly experience that Ben had yet to attain. Okev was just too strong, too tall, too big! So, Ben, a mere stick-insect in comparison, rarely bested the Twi'lek boy._

 _It was… infuriating to say the least._

 _Normally, Ben would just ignore it. Okev was always so friendly and spirited outside of their matches that Ben could never hate him. Not really. Losing was tough, disappointing too, but he could handle it. Only, today, a weight seemed to be pressing at the back of his mind, slowing his moments, and making him stumble. He felt awful – like nothing mattered, like he could vanish and no one would blink an eye._

 _So, each hit that Okev landed against him only seemed to amplify the dullness in his head, and set his nerves aflame. He hated the irritating sting of the practice-sabers against his skin, he hated Okev's shrill laughter and the tittering from the other students, but most of all he hated the burning humiliation raging through his head and making each move clumsier and less effective than before. He couldn't do this! He was just a failure!_

Whap!

 _Ben winced as Okev's saber struck at his legs, sending him tumbling back onto the mat. He looked up to see the other boy towering over him, saber held up triumphantly and a grin on his lips._

 _Humiliated. Again._

 _Ben glowered, the weight on his mind beating down upon him now. Looking at Okev now, he didn't seem free-spirited, or kind, or anything like that. No, he just seemed like an insufferable twit._

How can you let him treat you like that? And in front of everyone too?

 _That sounded reasonable. Why should he let Okev treat him like that? Why shouldn't he be mad? Everyone in the room knew, that if this were a real fight, that Ben would win. They'd seen his force potency. They'd seen his skills with a_ real _lightsaber._

Time for a reminder, don't you think?

 _The weight loosened, like a dam finally breaking through, and a sudden clarity shot through him. In that moment, a number of things happened._

 _One, when Ben looked at Okev, he no longer saw the kindness in his eyes, or the playfulness in his heart. Instead, a dull roaring flooded his ears and all he could see was the tasteless smirk on the other boy's lips, and the cruel tilt of his chin._

 _Two, Ben sprung to his feet, saber at the ready, and a startling blankness in his mind. Like child's play, Ben dodged Okev's next strike, and the next. And the next._

 _Okev was frowning now, suddenly serious._

 _Good._

 _With a flick of his wrist, Ben forced him back, now on the offensive, parrying every blow and forcing the other boy further and further backwards. Okev struggled to keep up with Ben's speed and weight, now turned against him._

 _To Okev, it didn't make any sense. How could it? A boy half his size was forcing him backwards by means that shouldn't have been possible. It wasn't possible._

 _Three._

 _As clear as day, Ben could sense Okev's surprise, his weakness. Aha. With a sneer, he promptly struck Okev in the chest with the saber and toppling him over completely._

 _Okev looked up in shock, only to be struck again, this time in the face._

 _"Hey-" he started, only to be caught once again across the face, with way too much force attached. It was like getting punched in the head._

Good. Finish him off.

 _Ben nodded to himself. And then, as if he were possessed, he raised one hand, and lifted Okev off of the floor, as easily as he would a rag-doll. Okev began convulsing in the air, his hands clutching at his throat as an invisible force throttled him by the neck._

 _The Force pulsed through Ben's arm and down to his very fingertips, threatening to break skin and bone with its pure ferocity. It was frighteningly natural, this power. As if Ben had suddenly gained control of a vital limb that had eluded him all his life. Why had he never done this before?_

 _He clenched his fist, and Okev let out a terrible scream._

 _Raw power._

 _It was almost satisfying, to finally wipe that smug look off Okev's fat face. To watch him weakened whilst Ben himself was barely breaking a sweat. So much for sparring. With this sort of power, why, no one could best him. No one._

 _He could break bones just by lifting a finger._

Why don't you try it?

 _That sounded – well, Ben didn't know. There was just so much noise. He could hear himself snarling, and then, distant screaming. Choking? And panicked yelling – of both boys and girls, of human screams, and alien gargling. All terrified._

 _But of what…?_

 _"Okev!"_

 _"Ben, please!"_

 _"Ben don't!"_

 _"Oh hells, oh hells-"_

 _"Where's Master Luke? Where is he?!"_

 _"Ben! Stop! You're hurting him!"_

 _Ben stopped._

 _In that terrible moment, all he could see was the blind terror in Okev's eyes, and the mucus dripping from his nose, and the awful guttural sounds as he clutched desperately at his throat. He was scared. Scared of_ him.

 _He dropped his arm._

 _The Twi'lek boy collapsed to the ground, still wheezing and hacking._

 _Then, realisation struck him, like a punch to the gut. Heart pounding in his chest, Ben threw the saber aside and ran._

 _What had he done?_

 _He kept running, out of the courtyard, past the training halls, past the dorms, past the temple itself, and into the wilderness. Despite the burn in his chest, and the aching in his legs, he didn't stop, and instead pressed on, further and further away from Ovek's twitching form and the horrified looks on his friends faces._

 _Oh, god, what had he done?_

* * *

Reeah looked absurdly small from the bridge of the _Finalizer_.

Hux could almost imagine that the past twenty-four hours had all been some sort of fevered dream, with a certain degree of wish-fulfillment, and plenty of disappointment too. True, he had solved a fifteen-year old mystery (well, almost), but he'd also stumbled across unimaginable nightmares in the caverns. And true, he'd found Ben Organa, relatively healthy, and looking positively radiant. But rather unlike the particularly delicious dreams where Ben Organa threw himself into Hux's waiting arms, practically tripping over his feet to be near him, _this_ Ben Organa seemed to have eyes only for Liito Ren.

 _Liito Bloody Ren_. Who just happened to be the most annoying Knight of Ren out of the bunch (now, that wasn't completely true – Yorka Ren was just… unpleasant)!

So, yes, it was quite easy to imagine that the past day or so had just been a particularly scary dream, where he had seen ghosts and dead-men, and where the object of his affections ignored his every advance. Yes. That seemed about right. Maybe even better – because his usual dreams were plagued with dead boys, accusations, and blood. So, in fact, this dream could even be called pleasant in comparison. Huh.

"General Hux, sir,"

Hmmm, perhaps it was finally time to try that obscure Onderonian medicinal treatment that Phasma had been raving to him about recently. Maybe then he'd stop seeing things that weren't there, and being taunted by a dead boy (who was, in fact, not dead at all, and currently sitting very pretty in the medical-bay only a few floors down).

"General?"

Hux jumped nearly a foot in the air, only to see Lieutenant Mitaka looking at him, with what was clearly concern on his face. Oh, _hells_. He'd been daydreaming again, which was decidedly, not a good-look for one of the top generals of the First Order.

Hux cleared his throat, "Yes, Lieutenant?"

"Sir, someone called 'Organa' is requesting entrance to the bridge?" Mitaka said, confusion knotting at his brow.

Hux looked back, feigning surprise, as if he hadn't been aggressively checking the clock for the past several hours. Not that Mitaka, or anyone else on the bridge had noticed. Hopefully, they had just chalked it down to his eagerness to finally leave this godforsaken system behind. They all knew too well of the bad memories attached to this place. He was still infamous for it, after all.

Not to mention that none of them wanted to keep the Supreme Leader waiting.

"Ahh, of course. Let him in." Hux said, smoothing back his hair with one hand and straightening out his uniform with the other.

Mitaka blinked for a moment, looking startling like a Kaminoan frog-fish, before hurriedly opening the doors.

Hux looked up, with a measured calm in his face, only to see Ben Organa, now in freshly laundered robes, flanked by two stormtroopers and carrying Hux's great-coat in his arms. He looked… well, _tired_. Not that Hux could blame him. It mustn't be all that pleasant having been stuck in some primitive cave-system for god knows how long, and then being stuck in a smelly bacta-tank for hours on end.

If possible, he might even be having a worst day than Hux.

"Ben Organa." Hux said, "I see you've finally woken up."

"I was just discharged by Dr. Kree'ene," Organa explained, "She says I am in surprisingly good health, considering."

Then he held out the jacket, "I wanted to return this to you. Thank you for lending it to me."

"My pleasure," Hux said, stifling an unattractive croak; "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes, thank you. Dr. Kree'ene was most kind, and has promised to see me again." Organa said, clasping his robes tightly at the elbows, as if he were uncomfortable. Perhaps it was a nervous twitch?

"Yes, well, we'll need to keep track of your health. It's been a few years – there's been plenty of new nasty viruses and what-not since you've gone. Fifteen years is a long time."

"You're telling me,"

Hux did a double-take. Had Organa just made a _joke?_ A warmth surged through Hux's belly at the very idea. Sith's spit, how long had it been? Too long, in fact, since he'd been this enamoured with the very presence of another.

Oh, hells, he was being sentimental again. Letting go was going to be difficult.

A silence fell over them, in which Hux pretended to busy himself around the bridge, and look anywhere but at his guest. When he did finally give in to temptation, he found that Ben Organa looked, well, _sad_. His eyes were downcast to the floor, but he kept sneaking glances at Hux, as if there were some burning question on his mind.

"A credit for your thoughts?" Hux ventured, settling at Mitaka's workstation, much to the chagrin of the Lieutenant. Having your boss looking over your shoulder was never a comfortable experience, only Hux didn't really care what Mitaka thought.

Ben Organa worried at his lip, "Could you tell me what has become of my mother?"

It was a perfectly reasonable question, and one that Hux shouldn't be surprised at. Only, he'd rather hoped for something else. He felt like a beggar snatching at crumbs – desperately wanting for any sign that Organa might remember him.

Instead, the young man was asking about his mother – who just happened to be pretty high on the First Order's Undesirable List, and Hux's own personal Hit-List.

"Your mother is still the General of the Resistance." Hux said, not able to keep the spite from his voice; "She's a slippery one. Rebels always relocate like cockroaches, so who knows?"

Organa frowned, "…I could say the same of the Empire,"

Hux glared at him, "I'm sure you'll see her soon enough, don't you worry. For now, you'll be meeting with the Supreme Leader."

"You mentioned him before… tell me, who is this Supreme Leader?"

Hux blinked, "Yes. Supreme Leader Snoke. Well, he's a benefactor of sorts for the Order. He can use the Force, just like you. I'm sure he has much to teach you."

Organa's lip pulled back into a snarl, a moment so quick that Hux would have missed it if he weren't paying close attention. It was the sort of look that he would not easily forget, he certainly did not want to be on the receiving end of such raw loathing.

…huh, perhaps Organa had a bit of Vader in him after all?

"Ah, yes. I know of Snoke." Organa said airily, all anger seeming to have vanished.

"Perfect," Hux said, ignoring the potential can of worms he may have unwittingly opened; "Then there won't be any time wasted on petty introductions. Straight to business."

"And what business is that?"

"It's not for me to know the Supreme Leader's comings and goings, but I can say that he has plans for you. Grand plans."

Of course, Hux very stalwartly did not mention that Snoke's plans involved moulding Ben Organa into a Vaderesque pawn. Somehow, he did not imagine that would sit well with him. Perhaps in time, he would warm to the idea - the promise of unlimited power was appealing on its own. But simply springing it on him didn't seem wise.

Hux knew better (from painful experience) – it was always best to let Snoke do the talking. He had a way with words that no human could ever hope to match.

"I see. And he's a benefactor for the First Order? What do you suppose he stands to gain from such an arrangement?"

Hux shrugged, "Perhaps his morals align with my own, or perhaps he, an immortal being, is simply bored and wishes to entertain himself. Your guess is as good as mine. All I care about is that the First Order benefits from this arrangement,"

Suddenly, Hux trailed off, quieted by their snappish back-and-forth. He had wanted most dearly to get along with this man, only now, he couldn't keep the bite out of his voice, or find the strength to unclench his jaw. Why couldn't he just talk to Ben Organa like a normal person? Why did he have to be so antagonistic? Organa was a guest on their ship, not some goddamned Resistance spy being prepped for interrogation.

Fuck.

"You're mad,"

Hux raised an eyebrow, "Sorry, what?"

"…at me. Why is that?"

Hux didn't answer, and merely turned his attention towards Mitaka's monitor and pretended to be enthralled with whatever dull readings were on-screen. He didn't have to explain himself. Why should he? Organa may be a guest, but he was only that. There was no hierarchy between them, nor any friendship. And as for Hux's own imagined fancies, well, they were only that - _fancies_.

Nothing more.

"Ah, you saw things in the temple."

"Stay out of my head." Hux snapped, feeling hotter under the collar. If Ben Organa could see Hux's nightmares from the temple, then what else could he see? _Oh no no no…._

Mitaka, who was currently trapped between his screen and Hux's very angry form, let out a whimper of distress. Not surprisingly, it went unheard.

"I apologise." Organa said, not looking very sorry at all; "But you must be aware of how loudly you think?"

"…yes, I've been told before," Hux said, not mentioning that it had been Ben Organa who had told him as much, fifteen years prior; "And that entire squadron I took down to your accursed temple are in reconditioning because of your 'Force' visions. So, yes, I'm a little irritated-"

"Excuse me, Sir," Mitaka tried again.

"-and who knows how long it will take to get all those awful visions out of their heads."

 _"Sir."_ Mitaka pleaded, before turning to his fellow officers for help. They all shrugged, and some simply turned away, too busy giggling. Fuck.

"Why do you assume all their visions were bad?" Ben Organa said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"They're all clearly traumatised from the experience!" Hux snapped.

"I could talk with them."

"No, absolutely not." Hux said, shaking his head. Who knows what sort of things he'd start whispering to them? Tales of the Jedi? Whimsical fantasies? No, that sort of thing wasn't good for troop morale.

…and not to mention the sorts of things the troopers would tell Organa about the First Order. And about _Hux_. Oh, that would not be good.

"SIR!" Mitaka yelled.

" _For godssakes_ , what is it, Lieutenant?" Hux roared, turning on Mitaka.

"Liito Ren is requesting access to the bridge" Mitaka said in a very small voice.

"Oh, well, let him in, I suppose," Hux grumbled, finally stepping away from Mitaka's work station, much to the relief of the entire bridge.

The doors opened with a sharp _whoosh_ , and almost immediately, Liito Ren rushed forwards in a flurry of dark fabrics and clasped Ben Organa's hands in his own.

"Are you alright?"

Organa blinked, seemingly surprised by the attention, "Oh… yes. Thank you."

"I am glad," Liito Ren said, a warm smile spreading across his face; "When you are feeling up to it, there's so many things I'd like to show you."

Hux glowered.

Organa turned to Hux, his hands still being tightly held by the Knight: "Well, General, I guess I should leave you to your work now-"

"Yes, no, perfect. If you wish to retire, you can have my quarters," Hux said cutting him off, making the offer before Liito Ren started kissing Organa's boots and suggesting they share body-warmth or something; "I hope they are pleasing enough."

Organa paused, looking thoroughly perplexed by Hux's word vomit. Finally, he ended Hux's torment and spoke: "Thank you, General."

"…I have but one question." Hux continued, hating his motor-mouth.

"Yes?"

"Why, after all this time? Why choose now to come back?" Hux blurted, unable to stop himself. He needed to know, so very badly. He couldn't comprehend it. Why leave everything behind? Why leave your family, your friends, everything you've ever known?

 _…why did you leave me?_

"It was not by choice, General." Organa said, "All is as the Force wills it."

"That sounds like an evasion."

"No, it is a simplification."

Hux frowned. _Bloody Skywalkers and their sharp tongues_. He didn't miss this – the decidedly snappish returns, and the insinuations of stupidity. As if he couldn't possible comprehend the mysteries of the Jedi.

"I am not a Jedi," Organa said.

"I told you not to poke around in my head," Hux seethed.

"You should see the upper-observation desk, Ben," Liito Ren said quickly, cutting their argument short; "You can see everything from up there. It's stunning."

Organa nodded, "Please, lead the way,"

With that, they left, leaving a very angry Hux steaming on the bridge.

* * *

If getting into a pseudo-argument with Ben Organa, and then listening to Liito Ren call Organa "Ben" in a voice that was bound to give Hux nightmares for the next week, had put Hux into a bad mood, well then having to meet with the Supreme Leader was the cherry on the rotting, maggot-infested left-for-dead cake. Yes, it was safe to say that Hux's day had managed to go from bad to catastrophic in the space of half an hour. Brilliant.

Oh, and all in front of the bridge crew too. Hux expected that it would be ship-wide news by the next quarter-shift.

But, all of that paled in comparison to having to call the Supreme Leader, even if it was to inform him of his success. He got the feeling that Snoke would find some way to twist his triumph into the stink of failure, that was his speciality after all.

 _"General,"_ Snoke hissed, his ancient voice reverberating around Hux's office like the chanting of some barbaric cult.

"Supreme Leader, I have the boy."

Snoke raised an eyebrow, _"Tell me everything,"_

So, Hux did. Recounting everything made it seem all that less real. Stumbling into a Force temple? Finding a dead-boy trapped in a crystal, only the dead-boy was now a young-man and decidedly very much alive? No, it was all ridiculous.

Still, it had happened.

The Supreme Leader sat watching him as he talked, and every rattling breath from his rotting throat sends chills running down Hux's spine. Even after all these years, he wasn't quite sure what Snoke was. An alien, obviously, but _what_ was he? An entity of sorts? If there were others like him, then Snoke was decidedly an abomination of what had been intended. Twisted and made sick by the very 'Force' he worshipped so ardently.

It was pathetic, but even in hologram form, Snoke still managed to be all sorts of intimidating.

To his credit, Snoke remained silent as Hux told him everything, allowing Hux to speak (albeit, not all truthfully. Some things he would take to his grave – like those things he had seen down there in the caverns). It gave Hux the courage he needed to actually tell him what had happened.

 _"Curious, General,"_ Snoke said, as soon as Hux had finished his recount.

"Curious, Supreme Leader?"

 _"You've given me much to think about. As I thought, this boy is the key to everything."_

Hux frowned but didn't comment.

 _"Before long, he will be swayed to our point of view, General. We will not find a stronger, or deadlier ally,"_ Snoke said, his eyes gleaming; _"Under my guidance, of course."_

"I look forward to the results of your tutelage, Supreme Leader." Hux said, somewhat truthfully. To his shame, dark things stirred in his belly at the very thought of a Vaderesque Ben Organa. He would only be all that more dangerous. All that more desirable.

 _"Set an immediate course for Marr'ban, General. I would have an audience with the boy."_

It was at that moment that Hux paused.

During the call, a selfish thought had clawed its way to the forefront of his mind, and the longer Hux focused on it, the more difficult it became to deny. It was a thought too delicious, too bold. He couldn't possibly-

…oh, but he _could._

"…actually, the boy needs a few weeks at the _very_ least to recover. The environment on Reeah was not kind to him. We may be delayed in our arrival - my apologies, Supreme Leader, but Liito Ren has _insisted_ on the boy's good health before he sees you."

Of course, it wasn't entirely a lie. Ben Organa did need time to recover. And Liito Ren was most certainly an advocate for his health. Only, that sort of thing wasn't really a problem for Snoke, and he could very well demand to see the young man anyway.

But Hux wanted to keep Organa to himself for just a little while longer.

The Supreme Leader glared, his face twisting until he looked even more like a dried-out prune than ever before. It was not a good look.

Hux didn't often contradict the Supreme Leader's orders (not to his face, at least), and whilst he did not look overtly pleased, he also looked thoughtful. As if he were deliberating over Hux's words – as if he were _actually_ taking them into consideration. If Hux weren't terrified, then he might have laughed at the ridiculousness of it all.

A bead of sweat rolled down Hux's neck as he prayed that Snoke would take the bait. _Please, please, please_.

Finally, the Supreme Leader cleared his throat: _"Very well, General. I would meet with the boy when he is in good spirits, and thus more easily swayed to my point of view. You have two months. That is all."_

The holo-comm disconnected with a harsh _click_ , and Hux let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. He had done it. He had charmed more time from the Supreme Leader. Two months before Ben Organa met Snoke, and would be changed forever.

 _What had he done?_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **A/N:**

 **Hux, asleep: "BEN" "BEN "BEN" "BEN"**

 **Hux, now very much awake: time to die.**

 **Liito Ren and Mitaka, caught between the back-and-forth: *internal screaming***


	13. Positively Green

**Chapter 13: Positively Green**

 _For this first time in hours, Hux finally checked the time. Oh, hells. For what seemed like the first time in his life, he had overstayed his welcome. Even though diplomatic meetings were important, a First Order officer's first port of call was always to his true work. Paperwork, that is._

 _"I have to head back now," Hux said, willing more than anything for Ben Organa to protest, to demand more of his time, for the night to never end, knowing full well that at the first sign of distress, he would drop everything to spend another minute with this boy._

 _Instead, Ben merely nodded, with something that might have been disappointment in his eyes. "An officer's work is never done."_

 _Hux smiled, but could feel the disappointment wash over him in waves._

 _Out here in the gardens, the night air was pleasantly cool, and rich with the distant sounds of water trickling in the fountains, and the brush of leaves in the wind. More pleasant, though, was the company. It would kill him to leave._

 _"Yes, that's how it is,"_

 _"I don't envy your lifestyle,"_

 _Ben Organa was still smiling at him, a soft upturn to his lips, revealing the barest hint of his crooked teeth and the dimples at his cheeks. He looked tired, and not just from the lateness of the hour. Yet still, there was a light in him that seemed to burn relentlessly._

 _Like a man possessed, Hux drew closer to him. He took their hands together, relishing in the way their fingers locked together, the callused palms of a budding fighter with those of a petty-officer. Organa looked at their intertwined fingers and his mouth fell open with a soft 'oh'. Steadily, a pink flush crept up his neck from beneath his bejewelled collar, and onto his cheeks._

 _There was a stiffness in Hux's spine, and a flock of mynocks were flapping around in his stomach, but he held fast, hypnotised by the pinkness in Organa's face and the sparkling of his eyes. He had seen pretty people before. He had met charismatic, charming people. He had met great leaders, with wills of iron._

 _But he had never met anyone like Ben._

 _"I – uh, tomorrow," Hux started, but his voice quickly died in his throat. Oh, bother._

 _"Yes?"_

 _"I'm meant to ship out early tomorrow – at 0600. Cou – would you- well, I'd like you to be there," Hux managed, words vomiting from his mouth. Fuck._

 _"I would like that." Organa said, still smiling._

 _Hux, like the fool he was, instantly believed him, unaware of what tomorrow would bring, and the madness in his captain's eyes as he would be forcefully awoken earlier than usual. Unaware of the news his captain would bring, and the accusations and gut-wrenching loneliness that would follow._

 _But for now, he was happy._

 _Happy in the purest sense of the word – like a fire that could not be doused, for the first time in his life he felt a lightness in his chest, as if he didn't weigh anything at all, and as if all his problems were now insignificant, meaningless, in comparison to this boy and the way he made him feel._

 _They were so close, breath intermingling in the cool air, practically chest to chest. Hux could feel the rise and fall of Ben Organa's chest against his own, and even the catch of silky fabrics against his rougher officer's uniform. And then there was their hands, still so tightly held together._

 _He wanted so many things. So very many things._

 _Past the flush on his face, the freckles and the humiliating spots that only a teenager could sport so well, and the flutter of his eyelashes, Ben Organa seemed to want those things too._

 _Hux drew a hand up to his face, tracing over the smooth skin and catching over the freckles, and Ben Organa leaned into the touch. The mynocks were practically brawling now, as Ben Organa seemed to chase Hux's hand and his affection. As if those were things worth chasing - as if Hux were worth the effort._

 _It seemed impossible, yet here they were. A First Order petty-officer and the heir to a rebellion. Pressed so closely together, yet falling excruciatingly short of an embrace. It was a tentative union, and a forbidden one, but Hux had never cared less about the First Order in his life then he did at this moment._

 _His thumb moved slowly, caressing the curve of the boy's cheek and teasing the corners of his painted mouth. It would be so easy, to just lean in and take. To press his weight forwards, and crowd himself against the boy. To take whatever he wanted._

 _Instead, he cradles the boy's jaw one last time and simply presses his lips to the boy's forehead. He pulls back with an ice-cold sensation dripping down the back of his neck, and all the regret in the world weighing down upon his head._

 _"I'm so very glad to have met you," Hux said brokenly, before turning on his heel and making the difficult walk back to his rooms, not guessing for an instance that it would be the last time he would see Ben Organa alive._

* * *

Hux woke with tears in his eyes and a sore throat, yet couldn't seem to figure out why.

* * *

"How is your farsight?" Ben asked.

Liito Ren started at the question. He'd gotten up early – far too early – just to see Ben Organa and to perhaps learn a thing or two from him, or maybe even pass on some knowledge of his own. Maybe it was the earliness of the hour, or perhaps the softness in Ben Organa's face, that had him feeling particularly out of sorts and overtly distracted.

To his surprise, Ben had agreed to join him for breakfast at the troopers communal table along with all the other troopers, some at the end of the first-quarter shift, and some just about to start the second-quarter. Breakfast had certainly been… interesting, to say the very least. Many of the younger troopers had practically scrambled across the room to get their portions and to secure a seat next to a famed Knight of Ren and General Hux's mysterious new guest.

Liito had worried, and not without good reason. Ben was overcome by the attention and stayed relatively quiet, answering only very select questions from the troops and always in that quiet voice of his. That hadn't doused their curiosity however, and they continued to watch the pair closely, perhaps eager to see the Force wielded in real life, and not just in their illicit HoloDramas and books.

A real myth, come to life!

Liito was used to the attention whenever he docked a First Order ship, but Ben, who had been stuck in a cave for the past fifteen-years was not surprisingly, overwhelmed.

Another concern was anonymity. It wouldn't be wise to reveal that their new guest was in fact the son and relation of the First Order's most hated enemies. Even the most fresh-faced of troopers harboured no love for the Resistance, thanks to Hux's very thorough program. Not surprisingly, their conversations, though polite, had been stilted with the troopers. There was only so much they could reveal.

But here, in the gymnasium, Ben was a little more warm and quite eager to discuss the Force with Liito.

"My farsight? I have little use for it – so, my farsight is not very _far._ " Liito replied truthfully.

To his delight, Ben's lips curled upwards at the terrible joke.

"Well, let's test it, shall we?"

"Really?"

"Why not? Farsight is a very useful skill, if you have need for it. I suppose you just haven't found a true purpose for it yet – but even in times of peace you should sharpen a blunt sword. Think of it as routine maintenance of your skillset,"

Liito shrugged but acquiesced. Farsight was a useful tool when you wanted to see beyond, but Liito had no concerns elsewhere. He did not need to check in on the Supreme Leader, who was immutable, and his fellow knights seldom ventured very far from each other, hence, he never needed to look much further than a few star systems away. Perhaps if he had existing family or friends, then he might take advantage of such a gift, but as it was, he was alone.

He had no need for such a gift, when all he worried about was his own flesh and blood.

Still, if Ben thought it useful, then he would humour him.

"Don't think too hard – just reach out, as far as you can go."

"What will I find if I do?"

"You'll know when you see it,"

Giving in, Liito let his shoulders relax and his mind clear. He reached out.

"What do you see?" Ben murmured.

Liito Ren frowned, tilting his head as he considered the question. What _could_ he see?

"I…I see a village," Liito said, straining to see further, "The buildings are small, domed, well cared for,"

"Very good – anything else?"

"…I know this place," Liito said, his voice barely breaking above a whisper.

"Yes?"

"This is where I came from. This is where he found me."

There was a short pause as Ben Organa seemed to process Liito's words. Despite his best efforts, Liito couldn't resist cracking open an eyelid to peak at him.

Ben Organa's eyes were still closed, but now he was frowning, visibly chewing on the inside of his cheek with his brow furrowed. Quickly, Liito closed his eyes again, fearing that he had seen something that he shouldn't.

Reaching out once again, he cast his mind back onto the village, where Ben's own form was still presiding over. He looked almost thoughtful as he surveyed the surroundings, seeing townsfolk bustling past, merchants selling their wares, and Dathomirian children playing games in the gutters. It was all so familiar and yet strange to Liito, this place which had once been his home and was now instead, totally unfamiliar.

Despite his best efforts, he had no memories of his family. Were they still here? Had they moved to another town, another district, another planet entirely? Were they dead – slaughtered by Snoke, or by other means?

"It seems we have an audience," Ben said, before breaking away entirely.

Liito quickly followed, opening his eyes and seeing not a distant Dathomirian village, but instead, the _Finalizer's_ sparsely decorated gymnasium and the intruder.

It was Hux, of course, and he did not look happy.

Which was somewhat of an understatement. No, Hux looked terrible. As if he hadn't slept properly and was hellbent on striking back at the heart of the universe itself for such an injustice. Which wasn't an overly surprising look on him, and as such, Liito found himself thoroughly unconcerned and more intent on getting back to his meditation.

"General, may I ask what brings you here?" Liito asked, keen to be rid of him as soon as possible. He wanted to see the village again. There were so many questions in need of answers.

"Courtesy demands that I check in upon my guests," Hux replied smoothly, lips threatening to curl into a snarl.

"Thank you for your concern, General," Ben said, getting up off the floor to talk to Hux; "You have been most kind."

Like some bizarre tropical bird, Hux seemed to puff out his chest and an infuriatingly smug look appeared on his face as he visibly preened at Ben's words. It was absurd and all sorts of ridiculous, yet Ben did not seem to notice. Liito did wonder how long it would take him to notice – Hux wasn't exactly _subtle_.

"I'm pleased to hear it," Hux said, "And please do not hesitate if you need any assistance from either myself or the crew. We are at your disposal,"

"I would hate to be a burden, General, but thank you,"

Hux hovered for a second, as if there were a thought on the tip of his tongue, just a trigger short of being let loose. Even without the Force, Liito could tell that something was burning in the forefront of his mind.

Nevertheless, Ben Organa did not prompt him further and just stared right on back, a confused tilt to his brow.

Suddenly, with a boldness that had Liito picking his jaw up off the floor, Hux strode forward and took Ben Organa's hands in his own. Organa flinched back but did not pull away, his eyes wide in his skull.

"You are not a burden, you are my guest," Hux said, voice surprisingly soft; "And I am at your disposal."

Liito Ren blinked, unsure of what exactly he was seeing. It was Hux, yes, and he was caressing Ben's hands in his own so carefully that anyone would think he feared breaking him. But in all his years serving under Snoke, Liito had never seen Hux like this. It was strange – Liito had seen Hux shoot a man point blank for defying him, so to see him this docile was just unnerving.

Meanwhile, Ben looked quite rightly taken aback, an apprehensive look in his eye, and something else… something that Liito couldn't quite read. Something Liito suspected that not even Snoke would have been able to wrench from the young man's head, even with all his power.

Then Ben snatched his hands away, as if burned, and the spell was broken.

"Yes, thank you, General," He said, before turning back to sit beside Liito Ren.

It was a dismissal in every sense of the word and of course, Hux looked affronted. Neither Liito nor Ben paid him any mind as he hovered momentarily, before finally seeming to give up and stalk out of the gymnasium.

The room seemed much colder than before, less welcoming, and Ben seemed more closed off than ever before. Despite the curiosity burning within his chest, Liito did not press him, so they continued their meditation in silence, with the incident soon put far behind them.

.

 **.**

 **.**

 **A/N:**

 **Hux used SEDUCE.**

 **It wasn't very effective.**


	14. Between Friends

**A/N:**

 **These Knights of Ren are different people due to the change in timeline. In the original, we can assume Snoke was influencing and grooming Ben + several others at Luke's academy. Of course, in this fic, Snoke never got the chance to finish the job so…**

 **.**

 **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Hux makes His Move.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 14: Between Friends**

"Leia."

General Leia Organa whirled around in shock, only to see her own brother standing right in front of her in her little room on D'Qar, when in fact he should have been thousands of light-years away at his academy. Force-projection. She still wasn't used to him using such an ability, and he managed to surprise her every time he did. Of course, she had been dabbling in Force-projection herself - whenever she could spare a minute between the chaotic politics of Hosnian Prime, and spear-heading the Resistance effort – but she had never gone as far as Luke was doing right now.

"Luke?" her voice cracked, broken by her surprise and the joy in her heart.

"I had to talk to you – it couldn't wait," Luke explained, sitting himself down on her couch, wrapping his cloak further around his body as if he really were in her bedroom.

"You sense him too," Leia realised.

Nothing could be more important than Ben for Luke to expend this much energy just to talk with her. Force-projection had a way of draining the body of energy, an effect that only lessened with time and practice. As it was, Luke had not been practicing for nearly long enough.

Luke paused for a minute, before nodding his head, "Yes, and I knew you would have already. Your connection to Ben has always been strong."

A soft smile spread across Leia's mouth. There were certain things she took pride in, and her connection to Ben was certainly one of them. Perhaps it was something that all parents like her possessed, an immeasurable love and understanding for their child, a sense only broadened by knowledge of the Force.

It had taken her a while, she was ashamed to admit, to realise what that probing sensation in the back of her mind was. It had been too long – far too long, since she had felt Ben's presence, and when he had resurfaced she hadn't recognised him, her own son, and that was distressing.

"You were right, Leia. You were right. I couldn't believe it at first, but I can sense him so strongly – he's out there, somewhere,"

Leia bit her lip, "Snoke has sensed him too - The First Order has put out a bounty on him."

Luke looked up, face set like stone, "We can't let Snoke have him. Not again,"

"You've sensed more, haven't you?" Leia pressed, settling beside Luke on the bed; "What's wrong?"

"Ben's thoughts are quiet," Luke said, "And there's something else – a sadness, a resignation, almost."

"I sensed that too, what do you think he's doing?"

"He's planning something – and I don't know what," Luke said quietly.

"I need to go to him, then,"

"Whatever it is, it's dangerous. I fear for him," Luke said, shaking his head; "Let me go to him, Leia. The First Order can't be allowed to have you _and_ Ben. If Snoke is involved, I might be the only one who can fight him."

"Luke, no, you can't," Leia pleaded, taking his hand in her own. It felt startling real – the faux skin of Luke's right hand felt soft, yet weathered by time and his monastic lifestyle, and underneath that, she swore she could even feel the gentle whirring and clicking of his robotic fingers, the real ones having been claimed long ago by their father. It only made her miss the presence of her brother even more.

Luke shrugged, and patted Leia's hand lightly as if her worries were just passing concerns, "Someone has to."

Leia tightened her grip, punishingly so, "Not alone – never alone. Let me help you,"

There was a pause, where they stared at each other unwaveringly, neither backing down but both desperately trying to understand the other. That had always been a strength between them – understanding each other. Finally, Luke sighed.

"I have to fight him. But you're right – I can't do it alone. I need your help, Leia."

Leia nodded tersely, "Tell me what to do,"

* * *

It was that time of the morning. It was the midst of the second-quarter shift, when Hux had already been awake and working for quite some time, and finally took his first caf-break of the day. Caf-breaks were important – which a young Hux had learnt quickly enough during his time at the Arkanis Academy. As such, it was an indisputable part of his schedule, that at this time, he would take a coffee in his office, along with a single sweet-danish plucked straight from the officers' mess hall, and went over his paperwork by himself, with only his morbid trophies for company (Lieutenant Varrin was, not surprisingly, so much livelier in death). If it had been a mere two months ago, Hux might have been pouring over the Starkiller blue-prints, likely armed with a fine-tooth comb and eager to spot any inconsistencies or potential issues. As much as he trusted his engineers, he knew that no one could do his job as well as he could. It wasn't arrogance – it was just pure fact.

As it was, he had a guest aboard. And with him, a new hobby.

Well, not really a hobby. More like a security measure. It was totally normal. Why shouldn't he be keeping a close watch on Ben Organa via the security feeds, or the cameras installed in his quarters? It was just common-sense.

Hux had installed the camera himself years ago when he'd first been appointed general. Being a highly ranking officer put a target on your back. Not just from Resistance spies and bounty hunters, but from your own ranks too. And it had not been a paranoid investment either. During his time as general, he had caught many a traitorous stormtrooper sneaking into his quarters, and occasionally (but rarely), even Resistance spies had managed to sneak aboard, no doubt to cut the head off a snake.

Now it had the additional usefulness of allowing Hux to keep an eye on his prize.

Overall, he was surprised by how quiet Ben Organa was. Where was that rebellious fire that Leia Organa and Han Solo had? Where was the non-stop cutting wit and flirtatious smiles? Fifteen years ago, Hux had sensed those qualities in him, and the potential there, but they had never really surfaced. Still, he had expected to see it now.

Instead, Ben Organa just seemed to glide around the ship, as silent as a ghost and as responsive as a corpse. Every time Hux tried to talk with him, their conversation was ended abruptly, either by Organa's own silence or either of them losing their temper. It was grating on Hux's last nerve.

In fact, the only people Organa seemed to ever talk to was Liito Ren (that goddamn bastard), or a small handful of stormtroopers that always sat with him at meal times, eager to listen to any thought that spilled from his lips.

Oh, and meditate. Ben Organa meditated almost as much as Hux reviewed paperwork, which was to say, a lot.

Today, Ben Organa has been meditating on the floor of his quarters, sitting cross-legged with his hands relaxed in his lap. It's been almost twenty-minutes and he hasn't moved a muscle. Hux would know – he'd been sipping at his caf and nibbling at his jogan fruit cream-danish for the same amount of time. It was pretty boring, to be honest, but Hux was also waiting.

It was another five minutes before it happened.

There was a knock at the door of Organa's quarters. Hux knew exactly what for. It was a delivery – containing a single letter and a clothes hook with a bag attached. Slowly, too slowly for Hux's liking, Organa got up off the floor and answered the door. He took the package with confusion evident on his lovely face, before closing the door again.

Hux watched on, his danish long-forgotten, as he awaited Organa's response. He didn't have to wait long, as Organa surveyed the invitation quickly, before tapping into the room's comm systems.

 _"General Hux."_

Right on cue. It was Organa.

Practically scrambling for the button, Hux answered the comm-link at break-neck speed, hoping he didn't sound as breathless as he felt, "Yes?"

 _"There's a package in my room – I think it's meant for you, an invitation to a dinner?"_

"Not at all," Hux said, keeping his voice level; "That's for you. I'd like you to join me for dinner tonight,"

From the other end, Hux heard a gentle noise of surprise. Through the cameras, Ben Organa looked thoughtful. Hux bit the inside of his cheek to stifle his consequent smile - a reflex from his Academy days, to keep his expressions neutral when faced with superior officers and when in the face of embarrassment. It was a trick he'd mastered quickly enough in the aftermath of the Reeah tragedy.

"It's rather funny that you've been a guest on my ship for a few days now, but I've barely seen you. I've been a terrible host, I'm afraid,"

 _"I wouldn't want to trouble you,"_ Organa replied, voice more stilted than normal, _"I take my meals in the troopers' mess hall anyway-"_

"I must insist," Hux said, cutting him off; "Please, let me do this for you,"

There was a beat of silence, and Hux felt all the air leaving his lungs. It was now or never. He'd barely seen Organa since he'd boarded _The Finalizer_ , and with every passing moment, he felt him slipping further and further away. Hux couldn't let that happen. He'd spent so long trying to find him, so to watch him fall under Snoke or Liito Ren's influence would be intolerable. Of course, Snoke's influence was inevitable, but Hux could steal away with Organa in the meantime.

 _"Thank you for the invitation, General,"_ Organa finally said quietly, _"I will join you for dinner,"_

"Oh, I'm pleased to hear that," Hux said, catching his breath.

 _"Is this robe yours?"_ Ben Organa sounded confused.

"No, that's for you too." Hux said, trying desperately to sound casual; "I didn't think you'd have any outfits for dinner, so I'd rather hoped you would indulge me by wearing it,"

Hux had wanted to go planet-side to pick out the outfit himself, but that had been impossible with his schedule. Especially considering the backlog of work from Starkiller, as well as his normal duties. Finding time to entertain Organa was difficult, to say the least. He could only hope that the Stormtrooper he'd sent out had bought a nice outfit that was fit for someone like Organa to wear.

There was a moment of silence, as Ben Organa seemed to process Hux's words. Hux looked to the camera for any clues, but Organa didn't give anything away. Hux knew it was an odd request and felt his stomach sink. Surely Organa had seen through the transparent request for was it was? What was it but just a thinly veiled attempt for Hux to play at a Normal Relationship, as if he, a general of The First Order could ever entertain such an idea. And with someone like Ben Organa no less.

He picked up the comms again, panicking, "I had intended this to be something of a celebratory dinner," Hux said, hoping to salvage what seemed to be a rapidly deteriorating situation; "And I thought you might like the chance to dress-up a bit and just relax for the evening. I'll be wearing my own dress-uniform of course."

Fuck. Did he sound as desperate as he felt? He hoped not.

"Thank you, General. I'll be there."

It wasn't a yes or a no, but Ben Organa sounded bemused. As if he were genuinely delighted at being asked out to dinner. And that was a good a response as any.

* * *

Hux paced back and forth, worry creasing his brow. It had been a long while since he'd had a date. Only this wasn't really a date. It was just a friendly dinner between acquaintances, both of whom were on opposite sides of political warfare. Still, the general idea still applied – he wanted to impress and ensnare Ben Organa, who he hoped, would actually show up and not stand him up. That would have put a stopper on any ambitions he had for the evening long before they had time to age.

Of course, he had the advantage, the _high ground_ , if you will. Dinner was to be held here, in the currently appropriately decorated board room, on Hux's ship. It was a controlled environment – anything that could go wrong, would be minor at worst. It was his room, his staff serving dinner, and that only left his own performance to be considered – he could be charming, and he could be suave, if need be. He just needed to read the room, and hopefully all would go well.

So, that only left Organa, who would hopefully show up, and in a good mood too. If Organa were in a bad mood, well, then the evening would almost certainly be bust, no matter how many other factors Hux had accounted for. An angry Force user was not someone you wanted to mess with. Hux had learned that the hard way from Snoke.

He forced himself from the window.

"Remember your schedules!" Hux snapped at the waiting staff, "I want everything to be _perfect._ "

There was a resounding chorus of 'yes sirs', and before Hux had the chance to continue moping in front of the grand view, there came a _buzz_ from the intercom.

 _"General Hux? It's Ben Organa-Solo."_

Hux jumped nearly a foot in the air, and felt his heart rate double in his chest, making breathing and _hell,_ doing anything, all the more difficult. He needed to calm down. This wasn't even a date, and Ben Organa was not in love with him. Why couldn't he get that through his thick skull?

Steeling himself, Hux crossed the length of the board-room and opened the door with bated breath. The door slid open with a resounding _hiss_ and any thoughts of calming himself immediately went out the window.

Not surprisingly, Organa looked positively regal in his black-velvet robes. His collar was high, nearly brushing the underside of his jaw, whilst his neckline plunged down, down nearly to his navel showing off only a tantalisingly thin sliver of his chest. The gold embroidered accents made his eyes gleam even more than normal and there was even a tiny gold circlet in his hair. He looked _beautiful._

Hux made a mental note to give the troopers who'd selected the outfit a hefty bonus. He couldn't have picked it out better himself … well he _could_ have, but this was still damned near perfect.

Of course, he'd put in a considerable amount of effort into his own appearance too. Far from his normal routine - which was to simply get clean and look neat - he had taken his time, combing his hair back in exact strokes, counting each comb of the brush. He'd finally opened up the bottle of cologne that Phasma had gifted him for his birthday, which was a rich musk from one of the fancy department stores on Hosnian Prime. To his delight, Phasma's taste was impeccable.

He'd even donned his dress-uniform, which he only wore on special occasions. In fact, he could count on one hand the amount of times he'd worn it – on his promotion to General, and whenever he'd been unlucky enough to be summoned to see Snoke in the flesh. Only now, he could wear it for Organa.

"You look stunning," Hux breathed, before clearing his throat and crossing the room to invite Organa in properly. Time to play host. "Please, take a seat."

"You look nice too," Organa said simply, not looking Hux in the eye as he promptly sat down in the chair that Hux had pulled out for him.

Not phased, Hux quickly sat down too, trying not to think about how beautiful Organa looked and already failing. Which was yet another thing he needed to rein in under control. If he came on too strong, he might scare off Organa, which he'd unfortunately done a good job of lately.

God, everything had seemed so simple fifteen years ago. A simple bold proposition had had him dancing the night away with the now young man sitting across from him. Now it was a goddamn effort and a half to even engage him in conversation.

"Thank you again for your invitation, General," Organa said suddenly, breaking through the awkward silence.

"It's my pleasure," Hux said with a smile, only to stand back up again to head over to the impromptu bar he had set up; "Speaking of - can I interest you in a drink?"

Organa nodded politely, so Hux took out two wine glasses and a bottle of royal-blue wine, the contents shining like the stars just in view of the transparisteel windows. He set down the glasses gently by the stems, making a show of popping the cork, which promptly exploded in a flash of glittering silver smoke – a signature of the label.

Keeping the label itself hidden under a cloth napkin, Hux poured out two glasses, sliding one over to Organa with a wry smile on his lips, anticipation eating away at his stomach.

"Please." Hux said, fingers nearly slipping around his own glass as he waited with bated breath.

Organa sipped at the blue wine cautiously, before a surprised smile slid onto his lips.

Ah, success!

"Is this-?"

"Toniray Blue? It is indeed," Hux said, smoothly cutting him off; "There's a beautiful little arboretum on Chandrila dedicated to the restoration and preservation of Alderaanian plant life - including the many varieties of the famous Toniray grape-vines,"

"How did you get it?"

Hux smiled, a playful glint in his eyes, "Oh, I have my ways,"

"I wish I could have tasted the real vintage," Organa said, so quietly that Hux would have missed it if he weren't paying such close attention to his guest.

Hux cleared his throat awkwardly, "Yes, a pity. Still, the cultural and natural preservation efforts have been astounding. I understand that your mother has been heavily involved in the funding and establishment of most Alderaanian restoration efforts,"

Even if Hux hated her guts, he could appreciate dedication and effort in its various forms.

Organa smiled, "Yes, she was most passionate about it – second only to her political career,"

There was a fondness, but also a distinct resentment there, that Hux might not have caught if he hadn't known to look for it. On Reeah all those years ago, Organa had been quietly bitter about his family, a loneliness that Hux had found within himself too. Maybe he was just being silly, but he'd felt a connection then – both of them sons having been cast off by their parents in pursuit of greater ambitions.

And in that moment, Hux wanted so much to connect with Organa, to find a belonging with someone who understood the intense loneliness that came from having less-than-attentive family. Instead, he simply takes another swig of his wine, revelling in the sharp, yet fruity aftertaste.

"So, how have your sessions with Dr. Kree'ene been going?"

Ben lowered his glass back onto the table, that surprised smile still ever-present, "Oh, she's been very supportive."

"That's good to hear."

"Of course, she was horrified with my physical state, and she does like to lecture me on the importance of good health."

Hux smiled into his glass, "Yes, well, she and the entire med-team have the immense task of keeping this entire ship running, and in tip-top shape. So, she's a little stressed out. Which reminds me – I do think she's overdue for long-service leave…"

"You have that here?"

"Of course," Hux scoffed, "You don't keep a military force of this size running efficiently without treating people correctly. Even Phasma has been known to take a day or two off."

Ben Organa looked doubtful, but did not question him further. Hell, if there hadn't been leave or sick-days, well, then nothing would ever get done around here. Hux may not have liked letting people take holidays – but he knew it was necessary and conducive to a good work environment. Especially since the aptly named Mitaka Incident of 31 ABY… the mere thought still sent shivers down his spine, and the crew of _The Absolution_ had never quite recovered.

Instead, Hux quickly changes the topic.

* * *

It's not long before the first-course is served – a prime Woodoo steak(imported specially from Tatooine) with charred vegetables and a special Arkanis-home-style dressing, which Hux stalwartly did not mention was a Hux-family recipe. Whilst he took pride in his family's efficacy for the culinary arts, he hated them too much to ever mention it to anyone.

Ben Organa-Solo seems delighted by the dish, his hands rushing up to his face in shock as the waiter places it down in front of him. Even the waiter can't restrain a smile at his reaction.

"It's a cut of Woodoo," Hux said smugly, "I have a taste for it – well, most everyone does – but I rarely get the chance to indulge."

"This looks amazing." Organa said, eyes still alight like the brightest of stars. If it means this sort of reaction, then Hux wants to keep on surprising Organa for the rest of his life.

"Far better then rations," Hux agreed, cutting into the tender meat with relish.

"Yes, well, when you're stuck in a temple, the food selection isn't much better," Organa said, "If I was lucky, the local ships would lose their cargo, and all sorts of things would wash into the caves. Good quality spices, and exotic vegetation were always the best."

Organa took a bite of the steak, and his jaw slacked in astonishment. As he sampled each component of the dish, he made a low-noise of contentment in his throat, which had Hux shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Perhaps a nice meal hadn't been a good idea…

Hux laughed, hoping to distract himself, "I've gotten quite used to the standard rations out here in space, but it's nice to indulge every now and again. Having a guest is the best excuse to bring out the fine china and the best ingredients."

"Well, I'm certainly not complaining."

Hux couldn't help but agree. It wasn't often that he let himself luxuriate in the finer pleasures of life, but getting all dressed up in his finest uniform, and sampling some of the finest food and drink the galaxy had to offer certainly made Hux feel good. Sometimes, indulgence was necessary.

"What other things washed up then? On Reeah, I mean."

"Mostly food, but sometimes it would be fabrics or devices. I could make my own clothing, or tune into HoloNet stations. That took a lot of work though. Mostly, the Force provided."

Hux raised an eyebrow, "The Force?"

Even now, Hux wasn't sure what to think. He knew that the Supreme Leader had a power, that allowed him to move objects, to direct lighting from his hands, and to throw people about like rag-dolls. He knew Ben Organa-Solo had a power, that had let him play with the water fountain in Reeah like an artist with a paintbrush, and a power that let him read into Hux's most inner and private thoughts. And he knew, most painfully, that there was a power in the darkest depths of Reeah, that had shown him his dead father, that had shown him the ghost of a boy, now a young-man, and that had revealed to him the darkest thoughts of his heart and wrenched them free like a still-beating heart from his chest.

Oh yes, he knew that power. But, of its scope, Hux wasn't sure.

"Your thoughts are most troubling."

"What did we agree upon?"

"I'm sorry, but you were projecting," Organa said, taking another swig of the Toniray Blue.

"Then please pretend that you heard nothing at all." Hux said through gritted teeth.

"Fine." Organa said, before continuing; "The Force sustained me during my time on Reeah. It nourished me – kept me strong, in both soul and heart, something which I lacked most ardently."

Hux blinked for a moment. The boy he remembered from Reeah had been sad, yes, depressed even. But he had not been lacking in _heart_ or _soul._ He had been a bright spark in Hux's dull life – a single pure presence. That boy had had a streak of mischief, a sense of grace, undeniable beauty, and he had been a _friend_ , no matter how brief.

"That's a harsh assessment." Hux managed, still surprised by Organa's words.

"It wasn't a character flaw, as such, but just my lot in life." Ben Organa said, shrugging; "But the Force took me in, eager to correct my wayward path."

"I still think you're being a little hard on yourself."

"You misunderstand. The Force wasn't judging me. It was taking me in – and shielding me from outside influences."

Still, Hux frowned. If this power did exist, then what right did it have to determine what path was wrong or right? Why should it judge influences other than itself as wrong or dangerous? Was someone like Hux, as Force-sensitive as a rock, particularly bound for the path of the lawless and evil? How was that fair?

"Is that why you stayed for all those years?"

There was a long beat of silence. Organa looked deep into his wine-glass, swilling the contents about thoughtfully, clearly mulling something over in his mind. Hux waited patiently. His time with Organa had taught him not to press.

Finally, Organa looked right at Hux, "…does your Supreme Leader Snoke ever talk to you? Without ever being in the room?"

Hux frowned, suddenly thoughtful, "Perhaps once or twice… I can't really recall."

"He used to talk to me."

"What?" Hux's jaw dropped.

"All the time. He was always there. _Always._ When I slept, when I woke up, during training, just when I went about my own business, he'd still be there. Just whispering."

"Whispering?"

Organa turned his gaze downwards, a pained look in his eyes, "He'd whisper dark things. He'd make me doubt myself, my parents, everyone I came into contact with. I couldn't stand it."

The tone of his voice makes Hux's heart clench tightly in his chest. He shouldn't care. _He shouldn't_. Only, he can't help but think about the fact that he's delivering Organa right back into Snoke's hands.

 _A new Vader._

"…back on Reeah, when I fought with my mother, I ran to the gardens. I stumbled across those caverns and then I couldn't hear Snoke anymore. He was completely absent. There was only the Force."

"You were escaping Snoke." Hux said in realisation.

Organa nodded, "Yes, amongst other things."

Just like that, the conversation fades away and is replaced by a long silence, that is not entirely awkward, but certainly isn't comfortable either. Nevertheless, Hux greatly enjoys the meal, and judging by the smile on Organa's lips, the feeling is mutual. Good food did wonders for the soul after all. Perhaps he should consider introducing a more… pleasant and diverse diet into the stormtrooper program. It might very well improve trooper morale.

* * *

Before long, their conversation starts up again, and by dessert, which is a Naboo honey-cake with shuura-infused cream, their conversation has become much lighter, and their interaction, friendlier. Maybe it's just the wine, but to Hux, Organa seems happier than he's ever been.

"I think dessert is one of the things I've missed most." Organa said, licking his spoon clean.

Hux had to agree. Dessert was just one of those simple pleasures in life – a present you could give yourself, nearly every day, or just every now and again. For Hux, it was the latter – but that just meant he enjoyed sweets all the more when he was lucky enough to have them. He could only imagine how it was for Organa, who hadn't had a proper dessert in fifteen years. Packaged sweets being washed up in the caverns did _not_ count, no matter what Organa said.

"Not family? Friends?" Hux said jokingly.

"Mmm… dessert _is_ pretty difficult to beat."

No, they both knew well how much Organa missed his family. At every mention of Leia Organa he seemed to tense up, and Hux hadn't dared mention Han Solo. He wondered whether that would elicit a similar reaction. Come to think of it, he didn't' think the boy had even mentioned his father back on Reeah, so what did that say about him? Then of course, there was the famed uncle…

For Hux, he would have gladly never seen his family again, but for Organa, despite his difficult relationship with his own family, he seemed to only miss them more than ever. Hux couldn't quite understand it, but he didn't pry. Family was messy.

"You said not to pry, but I miss them all." Organa said, setting down his cutlery, his smile fading as quickly as it had appeared.

"Sorry." Hux said quickly, not even annoyed at the blatant mindreading this time; "I'm simply curious. Family has never been a value of mine – so to see someone who values it so strongly, well, it's strange for me."

"Trust that you are just as strange to me." Organa replied, not unkindly.

"Fair."

"Well, it's getting late," Organa said, placing his napkin on his plate; "I think I might retire."

"Of course," Hux said, standing up quickly to escort him out. Inwardly, he quashed any foolish part of him intent on asking Organa to stay. He wishes the conversation would continue – there was so much to talk about, things that he would never discuss with anyone else, nor want to. Instead, he follows Organa towards the door, tracking the limberness of his frame, and the way the fabric of his velvet robes drapes so well off of his every curve.

Fuck.

"Thank you," Organa said softly, stopping just at the door, with one hand on the frame; "For everything."

Up close like this, Hux could see the gold leaf on Organa's eyelids, lighting his eyes up like liquid amber. He forces himself to look away, only to be drawn in by the rouge on Organa's lips, which draws all of his attention to his mouth than ever before. He bites the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from doing something foolish.

"You're welcome." He said instead.

"Good night, General."

A shot of desperation ran through Hux. No, he couldn't let the night end like this. There were so many things to do, to talk about, to laugh about. More than that, there was a silly sense of fear deep in the innermost corner of his brain – the idea that Organa might disappear again, and never return. That after one perfect night, he would leave yet again, running off to some untraceable planet only to be lost to the galaxy once again.

Unable to help himself, Hux took Organa's wrist in his hand, stopping him in his tracks. Slowly, deliberately, Hux brought Organa's arm up to his mouth and pressed a languid kiss to the inside of his wrist, never breaking eye contact. His skin felt warm and the air between them seemed to spark with electricity. Nearby, the very shelves seemed to rattle slightly in warning.

Finally, Hux pulled away, purring; "Good night."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **A/N:**

 **The Mitaka Incident. To some, it is just a myth, but to those who know better, to those who were there that fateful day, they dare not forget. It is said, if you say Mitaka three times and spin around, he will appear and make a bloody repeat of his carnage, leaving no one untouched.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Hux, Finally Making His Move:** **໒** **( ͡ᵔ** **͡** **ᵔ )** **७**

 **Ben, Crying into His Wine Glass: ɾ** **ɹ**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Also, Hux: You were the chosen one! You were meant to date me, not leave me in darkness!**

 **Ben: What?**

 **Hux: You were my beau, Ben! I loved you!**

 **Ben: Again – what?!**


	15. Nightmare Recurring

**Chapter 15: Nightmare Recurring**

It's dark here, like all the light has been sucked out of the room.

Wait.

Is it a room?

The air is damp and cold, heavy like the air surrounding Arkanis Academy just before it rains.

Tentatively, Hux creeps forward with his arm outstretched, anxious for his palm to kiss a wall, any wall, while his feet slide forward, overtly conscious of any potential obstacles in his path. He's be victim to many a power-outage onboard a ship, and he knew how to make his way in the dark.

"Hux?"

Hux swivels around, only to see that the room is not a room at all, but a cave, with jagged rock walls and an invisible light source streaming from the ceiling, illuminating the owner of the voice.

There's a boy standing there, in rich robes the colour of sea-foam, and a net of sparkling jewels in his thick black hair. His mouth is distractingly plush, and his nose, strong. It's a strange, but pretty face, one that Hux can't quite tear himself away from.

"Hux? Is that you?"

Hux nodded wordlessly. As if encouraged, the boy stepped closer. Whereas such a move from any other person would have made Hux take a step back, he found himself quite rooted to the spot, unwilling to distance himself from the ethereal boy in front of him.

Up close, the boy's gaze looks devastatingly sad.

"Why did you leave me?"

Hux was suitably taken aback. How dare this boy make such accusations!

 _"Sorry?"_

"Why did you leave me, Hux?" the boy said again, tears dripping down his cheeks.

"You – _you_ left _me!_ " Hux shot back, stumbling away from the boy, who he now knew to be Ben Organa-Solo.

"It's so cold here. I can't breathe, Hux, I can't breathe!"

Hux watched helplessly as Ben clutched at his neck, as if he were really drowning in a cave filled with breathable air. It was ridiculous! Why was Ben choking? Hux could breathe just fine in here!

Oh.

Oh, shit.

Suddenly, Hux found himself short of breath. He frowned, and tried inhaling through his nose, only to be met with an unforgiving atmosphere. Panic flooded through him – this couldn't be right. No. He was breathing _just fine_ only a second ago.

This was all wrong!

Wrong!

With his eyes bulging from his head, Hux stumbled this way and that, clutching at his own neck, desperate to calm his burning lungs. He hit the wall, with the harsh rock face scraping angrily at his body, only to double over and hit the floor, with Ben long forgotten.

Everything went black.

There was a brief silence, and suddenly, colours came rushing back into Hux's vision and the cavern was nowhere to be found. No, he was somewhere else entirely.

As he surveyed the immense room he was now in, Hux felt a chill ride up his spine. Oh, he knew this room. He knew it very well.

There were only ever two reasons for Hux to be unlucky enough to be summoned to Supreme Leader Snoke's throne room onboard _The Supremacy_. The first, he had done something right and the Snoke wanted to – no, not praise, that was too strong – but _acknowledge_ him. And the second, well, if Hux had "messed up" (which was rare because it was too often Snoke's fault really) then Snoke would summon him in person just to interrogate him and rip out every single thought straight from his head in the most painful way possible, only to look through him as if he were a filing cabinet and not a goddamn human being.

And given recent events, Hux strongly suspected it was the latter reason.

Oh fuck.

Oh fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck.

Snoke had figured it out. Snoke knew that he had lied about Ben Organa. _Oh fuck_. He was going to die. Snoke was _actually_ going to fucking kill him this time.

"No!"

That didn't sound like Snoke.

Hux swivelled around to look at the throne, only to see a figure sitting at the base of it, with their hands shackled in a fine, gold chain directly to the throne. Whoever they were, they were clearly the property of the Supreme Leader.

Despite every instinct in him telling him to just fucking leave and not approach the Supreme Leader's property, Hux found his feet taking him forward. As he got closer, the person – no, the young man's, cries got louder.

"Let me go!"

Hux turned pale.

The young man was tethered to the throne like a poor slave-dancer to a Hutt's fat hand. His clothes, what little of them were left, were in ruins, tattered and hanging off his thin frame like flags in the breeze, stained with what looked suspiciously like blood. There were great ugly bruises painted up and down his limbs, making Hux's stomach turn.

When he looked up, Hux gasped.

"Let me go, please." Ben Organa-Solo sobbed, tears running down his face, agitating the nasty black eye on his face.

Hux stared at him, both transfixed and horrified by the sight. What the hell kind of sick fantasy was this? Surely, Snoke wouldn't tie up his wannabe Vader?

"Please, Hux."

"I shouldn't be here-"

Ben blinked, clearly confused, "What? Just, stop this! Let me go! You don't have to keep me here!"

Hux frowned. What the hell? Why would he be keeping him here? This was Snoke's work. Not his.

"I'm not doing anything." He hissed, already throwing up his arms and backing away.

"Let me go!" Ben said again, shaking the chains angrily.

Hux paused. Something wasn't right here. Where was the Supreme Leader? And why was Ben so insistent on Hux letting him go? Sure, part of him wanted to do just that – but… why should he? Why should he let him go? Wouldn't he just leave?

No. Ben must never be allowed to leave.

"He's dead – so just let me go!"

Hux stopped completely.

"Dead? Who's dead?"

 _"He's dead!"_ the boy sobbed pointing across the room.

As Hux followed the direction of his finger, everything else, including the throne and the distraught boy, faded back and seemed to zoom in on the one spot. Like a rapid tape-recording, it only seemed to speed up and get closer, and suddenly, Hux did not want to know who was dead. He did not want to see it.

No, no, no!

Still, the world seemed to rush around until Hux could no longer ignore it.

It was a head, bloody and charred beyond recognition.

With nausea rising up in his throat, Hux turned it over with his foot, and any mutilation faded away to reveal the head of the Supreme Leader himself. Odd. No one could kill the Supreme Leader. Had his head just fallen off? Perhaps Hux could just put it back. No harm, no foul. Then perhaps the Praetorian guards wouldn't skewer him.

As if summoned by that very thought, Hux found himself surrounded by the notorious guards, each armed to the teeth, and circling him like a pack of Veermok. Ice slid down Hux's spine as he realised what it looked like. Here he was, holding the Supreme Leader's _head_ in his hands.

Oh god.

"Look this is all a mist-"

The guards advance on him and Hux screams.

Once again, everything turns black.

His head swims and he looks up, from where he has fallen on to the floor. All the guards have vanished, but the head, that awful head is still there, across the room and staring back at him with its lifeless blue ey- and hang on. Since when did the Supreme Leader have _hair?_

Scratch that.

Since when did the Supreme Leader have red hair, and a squarish face, a forehead not caved in –

Realisation trickled down his spine like ice-water and Hux wailed.

Instantly, his hands fly up to his neck, scrambling to find purchase on his nose, cheeks, mouth, anything. But there's nothing there. He lets out a wordless scream, before his lifeless body topples over and he knows no more.

* * *

Despite a long shower that morning, Hux still felt a cold-sweat clinging to the back of his neck. Nothing seemed to be going right. He'd had to change his sweat-soaked sheets and pillow-cases, throwing them all down the laundry-chute, and then his caf had tasted burnt so he'd had to wash out the entire goddamn caf-dispenser. All of which had made him that much later to the start of the second-quarter shift.

Sadly, it had not gone unnoticed and Captain Peavey had simply raised one eyebrow in that infuriatingly superior way of his, and simple gone back to work. At least Mitaka and Unamo had had the professionalism to not even make a goddamn sound, let alone a facial twitch to broadcast their curiosity at his tardiness. With every new day, it was getting more and more tempting to install an airlock onto the bridge, just so that Hux could punt a few insubordinate officers out of it whenever the occasion arose.

His relief (and the consequent relief of the entire bridge, much to his annoyance) is practically tangible as his break arrives, and rather than take his customary sweet-danish and mug of caf and hole himself up in his office, he's decided to take a rather different detour.

When he pokes his head into the gymnasium, he spots Organa and Liito Ren kneeling in the middle of the room on the sparring mats, huddled closely together. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that they were meditating.

Hux crept closer into the room, his feet like thunder upon the gym floor. He winces as every footfall seems to reverberate around the otherwise quiet room. Even the few officers and stormtroopers lifting weights and exercising seem to be quiet. He stops a short distance away from Ren and Organa, and simply watches.

Every now and again, their expressions flicker. Small smiles, the slightest frown, the furrowing of their brows. They almost look asleep. For what seems like ages, they simply sit together, hands intertwined, and heads bowed, as still as statues.

Finally, they awoke.

"Thank you." Liito Ren said, with a distinct reverence in his expression.

"I am surprised that he talked with you. He doesn't like strangers." Organa admitted, looking quite thoughtful; "It took ages to get him to talk to me, and in the end, he approached _me_ first – I suspect he would not have talked with me at all unless he himself had reason to."

"I am glad for that experience. I don't think you understand how much it means to me."

A muscle in Hux's cheek twitched as Organa and Liito's hands brushed together, the tips of their fingers trailing over each other.

Organa laughed softly, "No, I don't think I ever shall. But, I am glad for you."

"Who are you contacting?" Hux blurted out, no longer content to stand by the sidelines as Ren and Organa shamelessly flirted with each other.

"Don't be afraid – there's no threat," Organa said, looking up at Hux; "I am using the force to contact those who have gone before us."

Hux took a moment to process his words. Surely, he had misheard?

"…the dead?"

"Not exactly, but sometimes yes." Organa said; "In this case, Maul is very much alive, but not in any sense that you and I can understand."

"Maul?"

"Known in his time as Darth Maul," Liito Ren explained, "ex-Sith Lord, conqueror of Mandalore, and fellow Dathomirian."

"Why are you communicating with Sith Lords on my ship?!"

"There is no danger, or else I would have never permitted such a meeting, General," Ben said, still looking infuriatingly calm.

"Or so you say," Hux sneered.

"There's no danger, General." Liito Ren repeated, "When you connect in the Force for a conversation, you need a bridge and a person to communicate with – Ben here is the bridge – he monitors the entire time and is able to cut the connection without a moment's notice. It's added security to have a separate person act as a bridge, lest the Force-user get distracted by their conversation partner. The only danger is that which a Force-user brings to the conversation themself. As it is, I have no plans to conspire with dead people."

Hux blinked, unable to process a single thing that Liito had said. The Force? Bridges? Dead people? _Ben?!_ What a load of bantha-fodder. If Hux couldn't wield it for himself then he didn't care for it.

"I suppose you didn't come here to tell us off." Ben said, not quite looking Hux in the eye. It was a habit that Hux had noticed. Ben's eyes would trail to the floor, or the walls whenever he was talking to someone, whether it be Ren, himself, or the stormtroopers he had befriended. As if he were uncomfortable.

Hux bristled, but composed himself, "If I could lend your ear for a minute, I would be grateful."

Organa looked surprised but nodded. He whispered something to Liito Ren that Hux couldn't quite catch, before standing up swiftly and standing to the side with Hux.

"What can I help you with?"

"Well…"

* * *

As Hux finished his tale, albeit the heavily edited version (there was no need for Organa to know every little thing running through his head), Organa's face had become increasingly knotted by concern. As if he were genuinely worried about Hux's wellbeing.

"May I?"

"May you what?" Hux replied, heart quickening in his chest. He didn't want to get thrown at a wall or something like that.

"I would see your thoughts for myself, if that's alright?"

"I thought you could already do that."

"Yes, but I'll be looking for very specific thoughts in this instance, won't I? I need to concentrate."

"Do what you have to." Hux said gruffly, hoping to whatever benign entity was listening that he wouldn't regret it. He hated the 'casual' mindreading enough, but going deeper? That was just downright uncomfortable.

With that, Organa raised his hand to the level of Hux's face and his eyes fluttered shut. Almost immediately, an odd sensation came over Hux, as if there were hands sorting through his thoughts. Skimming through them idly like one would files on a datapad, scouring carefully for the right one. It was all kinds of weird, and Hux definitely did not enjoy it. It wasn't painful, per se, but it sure as hell wasn't comfortable either.

Finally, Organa pulled his hand back and opened his eyes. They were wet.

Oh hells. What had he seen?

"Your thoughts – they're _dark,"_ Organa said, his voice trailing off.

"Yes, well, I've been having some troubling dreams lately," Hux said, averting his eyes from Organa's searching gaze. Please, don't let him have seen...

"Whatever you saw in the temple – it's bothering you."

For a moment, relief flooded through him, but then Hux processed what Organa had said. The caverns? No. Just how much had Organa seen? Hell, he just didn't want to _dream_ so much, not have a full psychological evaluation.

His cheek twitched, "I've been having nightmares for _years-"_

"Yes, but the caverns have deeply unsettled you, I can sense it," Organa said, cutting him off; "And now you want my help."

Hux's ears turned red, "Well, I wouldn't want to impose-"

"No, it's fine. I'll help you."

* * *

It's not until a few days later that Hux's schedule is freed up enough for him to talk with Organa. Hux almost doesn't want to go through with it. Originally, he had just been concerned with his own efficiency as general becoming affected by his recurring nightmares. He had dealt with it himself for years now, but with Organa here, well that just wasn't an opportunity he could pass up on. But he sure as hell did not want Ben Organa-Solo seeing every little thought in his head. Hux wasn't weak. He wasn't some fading patient in need of a miracle-cure. He just wanted to have a good night's rest. Like every other goddamn person in the galaxy.

Only he'd gone and gotten jealous.

Organa had every right to surround himself with friends. But Liito Ren's intentions were not that of a friend. Anyone with eyes could see it. And Hux had gotten mad, and he may have exaggerated his problems and now Organa wanted to see him and was taking this all much too seriously-

Fuck.

Damn it all to hell.

When he shows up to the boardroom, Organa is already waiting outside, dressed in plain robes that fit wonderfully snug around his torso, and that trail upon the impeccable floors.

"General."

Hux ushered him into the room, cheeks ablaze. This was just getting ridiculous. He was a First Order general, he should know better.

"So how does this work?" he said, arms folded behind his back, too stubborn to cast-away his carefully moulded persona.

"We'd better sit down – the floor is best. People have been known to collapse or slide out of chairs at times."

Hux blanched but did as he was told. Better to defer to the expert. Hux was just glad that this particular boardroom was carpeted.

"This is a fairly simple process." Organa said, sitting opposite Hux with their knees almost touching.

Sitting so close to him only reminds Hux about their dinner together, and the way Organa's eyes had glittered like liquid gold. It had been so difficult to keep his own gaze from drifting to the thin sliver of Organa's chest on display from beneath his dark robes. More distracting still, Hux can't burn from his brain, the sound of Organa's surprised gasp as he'd kissed the soft skin that was the inside of his wrist, and the way the very ground beneath his feet had seemed to tremble with indignation, but more importantly, _pleasure_ , at the stolen touch.

"Alright, give me your hands." Organa said, drawing Hux from his intimate train of thought as harshly as it felt to walk out on the plains of Starkiller Base from the warmth of the base itself.

To his embarrassment, Hux's stomach did a funny little flip as he held Organa's hands in his own. Hell, he felt like a goddamn academy student.

"Close your eyes." Organa said, not seeming to care about the hand-holding; "Alright, follow my lead."

Hux obeyed.

"I won't look at anything you don't want me to," Organa said, looking at Hux far too intensely. As if he were staring straight into his soul with a simple look. And Hux just knew that he probably could have, if the desire struck. "Like I said, this should be simple. This is your first time delving so deeply into your own thoughts, at least with the Force, so we're going to take this very slowly."

"Alright." Hux grumbled, not sure whether to be patronised or somewhat fond of how professional Organa was trying to be about his goddamn Space Magic Powers.

With that, the boardroom seems to melt away around them, revealing jagged rock face instead of harsh durasteel, and pools of water and uneven stone instead of anything resembling the _Finalizer's_ unforgiving floors, much-less the carpet of the boardroom. The ceiling grew exponentially, with spears of rock shooting down, with some hitting the floor, or rather, the floor itself joined up to meet it. They were rock formations.

It was the Reeah caves.

"Why did you bring me here?" Hux demanded. He never wanted to set foot in this goddamned cavern ever again.

Organa shrugged, "This is your mind, not mine."

Gritting his teeth, Hux turned away. As spacious as the caverns were, it felt like the walls were closing in on him, intent on squeezing him until there was nothing left. A creeping sense that he was being watched came over him and he looked this way and that.

For a long time, nothing happened. There was only silence, interrupted by the deafening sound of water dripping from the stalactites and onto the hard floor below, and the distant rush of water through the walls.

"Hux?"

"What?"

"If you don't let me in, then I can't help you."

"What are you talking about?" Hux snapped, not liking the direction of the conversation.

"You're still holding back." Organa said, looking at him with his stupid soulful eyes; "You have to let go. You have to trust me."

"You're being ridiculous."

"Nothing can hurt you here."

Looking at Organa, something in Hux caved. Finally, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and a cold sensation crept up his spine. Suddenly, the walls of the cave seemed all that more real – Hux could see the condensation dripping off the walls, and the rock-face seemed all that more jagged and harsh.

The air became heavy with cold and damp, and Hux's stomach dropped. He half-expected to see the ghosts of his forebears come stumbling down one of the many tunnels to converge on him, to do god knows what. He looked back and forth, his gaze flickering between the exits.

Instead, his eyes settle on Organa. Beautiful Organa. Looking around curiously, as if fascinated by his own home from Hux's perception. And just like that, Hux stops.

For a long while, there's nothing but the sound of water dripping off the walls and the shifting of dirt under their feet. Organa looks more interested in the world around him, but Hux, Hux just watches him. He can't help himself. There's something about the furrow of his brow when he's concentrating, or the way he pulls at his lip with his teeth when he's deep in his own thoughts.

It's decidedly not fair how oblivious Organa is to it all.

 _"Armitage."_

Hux flinched backwards, and a scowl twisted at his features as he heard the long-dead voice of his father. He thought he was finally rid of the old bastard. And he had been so careful too. So so careful. There were naysayers and rumours of course, but that had been inevitable. What was important was that there was no proof. Phasma had made sure of that.

This was almost worse than the dreams, because here, he wasn't sure if it was real or not. If his father were here, or not.

" _You useless boy."_

There, just as he had imagined, was Brendol Hux, his body bloated and shimmering from the bite of the insect that had sealed his fate. He was shuffling down the tunnel towards them, his broken feet catching on the rocks and making his entire body jolt with sickening effect.

" _"Don't ignore me when I'm speaking to you, boy. I know you can hear me."_

"Shall I get rid of him?" Organa asked, eyes searching.

 _"How like you, to make the company of blood-traitors and scum. You've ruined me. You've ruined everything. Everything I worked so hard to build is turning to ashes and it's your fault-"_

"Yes." Hux said through gritted his teeth, "Get rid of him."

Then Brendol Hux was gone. Just like that.

Hux breathed in, letting the air of the cavern flood into his lungs. Somehow, the walls seemed less oppressive, and the air, lighter. He closed his eyes.

* * *

When he opened them again, he was back, sitting on the floor of the boardroom, with his hands still tightly wound around Organa's, his thumbs pressing into Organa's wrists.

Slowly, Organa's eyes opened, and he looked at Hux, eyes flickering from his face and back to anywhere else. Hux wished he wouldn't avoid his gaze so much but said nothing.

"I don't think your father will bother you anymore – or at least, not so regularly." Organa said, "I can't completely stop your own thoughts. That's something you have to figure out."

"Just like that?"

"Well, I'd like to see you again. I saw a lot of darkness in your head. I don't understand how you can sleep." Organa said, worry lining his face.

Hux waved him off, "I'm not opposed to your help, but this has all been blown way out of proportion. I've dealt with this myself for years now. It's not that big of an issue."

"If that's what you want, then I'm happy to help."

"And Ben?" Hux inquired, almost urging Organa to look at him directly; "Thank you." He finished, clasping his hand tightly and meaning every word. Organa's ears turned pink and he refused to look at Hux.

"You're welcome."

As Organa averts his gaze, his glassy eyes catch the light of the fixtures overhead and already breathless, Hux finds his lips parting in his reverie. God, who the hell gave him the right to look like that? It wasn't fair.

With his grasp still tight around Organa's fine wrists, he finds himself leaning in, quite unable, and unwilling, to help himself.

 _"Sir, a Resistance ship has just exited hyperspace."_

The buzz of the comm made Hux jump, and just like that, Organa was further away than ever. Kriffing _hells._

More pressing matters aside – what the hell? The Resistance, out here? This was certainly unexpected.

"Sounds like you're needed on the bridge." Organa said, standing up, his lips curling in a way that made Hux want to push him back down onto the floor again.

Instead, he just nodded stiffly.

 _"General Hux, sir?"_

"On my way." Hux ordered, throwing on his greatcoat; "Don't engage until I say."

* * *

It wasn't until he got onto the bridge that Hux was aware that Organa had followed him. He ignored him, and instead continued onwards. There was no time for idleness. He had work to do.

The bridge was hectic. In the pits, Mitaka was barking orders, with Unamo redirecting the orders onto her petty-officers. On the deck itself, Captain Peavey did not look pleased, and was staring at his datapad gravely, as if glaring at it would reveal to him any reason for the fact that the Resistance was all the way out here in the Outer-Rim.

With his heart beating quicker in his chest, Hux marched to the end of the bridge. He peered out the transparisteel windows, eyes locking onto a single Resistance cruiser. Just one. Alone, floating in space. He furrowed his brow. Something wasn't right.

Why was one Resistance ship just out here, camped on their very doorstep? One paltry ship was no match for the might of the _Finalizer's_ elite weaponry systems, much less its fleet of TIE fighters.

"Schematics?" Hux called, still glaring at the ship.

"Registering at least 100 crewmen aboard, and its weapons systems are active. And the shields are up." Peavey replied, projecting a schematic of the Resistance ship into the awaiting holo-tank.

Hux made his way to the tank, only to see Organa standing there too, staring at the ship curiously. As if he could recognise it. Maybe he did.

Hux glared at the miniature ship floating in the holotank, taking in its appearance. All in all, it appeared pretty standard for a Resistance ship. Of course, the fact that it was alone and staring boldly down the nose of a Stardestroyer was by no means normal. So, what was it doing all the way out here? Hell, they were very nearly on the borders of Wild Space. This ship should not be here.

"How the hell did they find us?"

"We don't know, sir, but it appears to be just the one. Maybe it got lost?" Peavey offered.

"I doubt it. Fire a warning shot – don't hit it. Yet."

"Yes, sir!" Mitaka said from the pits, already charging up the ion cannons.

The first shot hurtled past the Resistance ship, practically crackling with raw energy. Hux knew full-well that just one shot was enough to disable the shields, and another, well, just one more shot after that would be enough to finish the job.

Still, the Resistance ship did not move.

"They're hailing us, sir."

"Patch them through." Hux ordered, curious to see what the Resistance wanted.

Several robed figures appeared on the holoprojector. They did not look like the typical brand of rebel. They looked rugged, but miles more refined with their ramrod stature and peaceful expressions as if they were enlightened or some bullshit. Hux hated them already.

"You are trespassing in First Order space." Hux said, pacing forward as if to intimidate them through the holo-connection; "This is your first and only warning. Turn back now, or we will fire."

Never mind that he intended to fire anyway. But first he wanted an _explanation_.

"We will leave, General, as soon as you turn Ben Organa-Solo over to us. Or _we_ will fire." said their leader, stepping forward with a grim expression and steel in his eyes.

Suddenly, Organa stumbled backwards, caught at the last second by Hux's steady hand on his arm. His face had gone as white as a sheet.

 _"U-Uncle Luke?"_

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **A/N:**

 **Hux wishes he was as cool as Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise.**

 **Also, Hux: Who's sick fantasy is this?**

 **Boi, that's your sick fantasy, c'mon.**


End file.
